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-SEPTEMBER. 1921
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THE ETUDE
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Single Copies 25 Cents
VOL. XXXIX, No. 9
: i
Enrico Caruso
“Extra! All about the death of Caruso!”
A little negro newsboy shouted his papers up the back
street. A clerk, a drayman, a janitress, an artist and a
millionaire builder stopped him to buy copies. There, on the
-p”ob« a bT,"'
crowded newspaper of to-day. I
thing else tells the story of the
unparalelled voice and beautiful
lad, who once, digging
art of the little
in the
y the greatest male singer of history. Only a presi¬
dent or a monarch could command as much attention in the
crowded newspaper of to-day. This, possibly, more than any-
wondered whether he might be a great Sculptor or a great
singer. Artists have no hesitation in saying that, had he given
as much attention to sculpture as to singing he might, have
No Possible Substitute
There is no substitute for real musicianship. No amount
of advertising bluff or, as the Europeans call it, Reclam,
can take its place. Recently Mr. William Shakespeare, on his
wav home to England, made a short visit to The Home For
Retired Mmic Tmcher, in Philadelphia, in company with Mr.
Tamps H Rogers the noted American composer. Mr. Shakes-
peare, who in 1866 won the King'. Scholarship at the Royal
Academv of Music, London, and the Mendelssohn Scholarship
at Leipsig in 1871, then went to Lamperti for many years,
devoting ^his time since then to teaching the voice At the
Home Mr. Shakespeare espied a fine grand piano in the parlor^
In a few minutes he was seated and played one of the Bach
Organ Fugues, a Chopin number and a Mendelssoh
with all of the charm, freshness and distinctness of a y
become one of the great artists of the time.
So extensive have been the tributes and detailed biograph¬
ical articles in the daily press all over the country that, it
M 1.1..• „1 .nolo fnrfhPV
unaffected by his great fame. There was never any suggestion
of affectation or bombast in his letters or in his personal greet¬
ings. He was imbued by a kind of boyish spirit of fun, which
even through his serious moods, seemed to indicate that the
plaudits of the masses did not overwhelm him in the least.
Had Caruso lived and sung fifty years ago his art would
have ceased with the last heart beat. How grateful the world
should be that it has been preserved in the marvelously beautiful
records which have been made of practically all of the best
numbers in his repertoire. His voice was so rich, full, pure and
luscious in its finer quality that it recorded wonderfully. Jenny
Lind sang for thousands and her voice went with her to eternity.
Caruso sang for millions and will go on singing for millions for
generations to come. His records become classic models by
which all great tenors of the future must be judged.
Salve! Caruso! America claimed you, tho the
world showered it’s laurels at your feet. It is
less of a young con-
In comparison with some of the voice
teachers"w^ had known, this was quite a revelation. The solid
musical training he acquired in the sixties and seventies remained
with him to 1921 and seemed ripened in beauty by the years.
No wonder Mr. Shakespeare has stood for years in the front
ranks of the old world’s great vocal teachers.
What to Cut Out
There is an art in elimination. Many teachers at this time
r teachers, often have difficulty in
knowing what to cut
r has all the time in
out. This is the problem that the builder has all the time in
making- over buildings. With the high cost of materials and
labor, he endeavors to save all that is good. Sometimes it is
really necessary to tear a building down to its foundations in
order to build the kind of structure desired. There are teachers
who make a practice of this and waste years of really valuable
work, in order that their own ideas may be earned out. There
never was a greater mistake. Of course you c
fully turn a shanty into a church; but there is v
of material that can be used by the skillful 1
saving of time.
“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Don’t bother
it who said it. The saying has worn its way into the warp
woof of our language and is accepted by everybody. In
ing is it more evident than in music. So many people
assume that they know something about music, when they do not
C ' C " Take the matter of the keys and of major and minor. It
is not difficult to comprehend these things; but no one really
knows the kev system until all of the tonalities are mastered
and the wonderful scheme is realized. It is all very simple then.
Instead of spending a little time in going far enough ahead to
get this grasp, countless good folks content themselves w:th
asking others: “What is the difference between major and
minor?” “Why. do we use double sharps?” “What is the differ¬
ence between the melodic minor and the harmonic minor?”—all
these, the very simplest facts about music, explained in any good
Scale and Arpeggio book, in a few minutes becomes a positive
t for life. Yet there are thousands of
; sharps or three flats and
Amateur Orchestras
i notes with pleasure the great increase in
lateur orchestras of America. The altogether
irk being done in public school and in high
indicate, very clearly indeed, that in a few
:ur organizations will develop enormously.
Like all other organizations of the kind, they depend very
largely upon the enthusiasm of a few individuals who can see the
biff things and lead the way to accomplishment. Like any
successful business, such organizations thrive until the spirit is
lost, until they get into the hands of. little-minded people who
imagine that success comes through the minute observation of
parliamentary rules, special regulations, finicky, promptness,
while the spirit of co-operation in its real sense flies out of the
window. Such, we understand, has been the history of endless
of Boston, New York and other cities, have survived. In London
the “Wandering Minstrels,” which for years met in the home
of Lord Gerard Fitzgerald, had a career of thirt
This wonderfullv successful amateur symphony c
concerts which netted for charity over $80,000.01
| %
V - >
I?:?' V.
«? *
Some Editorial Correspondence
To The Etude: .
I would like your advice as to a diploma for music, 1
finished tenth grade and one book above tenth grade at thiiteen
years. I have been teaching for the past year and now am
fifteen years, and I like teaching very much. I would like my
diploma. Must I go to a music school to get it r How long
would I have to go? Can a music teacher without a diploma
present one? Can I enter a music school without an eighth-
grade diploma? What is the price of a diploma?
Etude Reader.
Pear Fhiend:
A diploma is a piece of paper with printing on it, accom¬
panied by the signatures of certain individuals attesting to the
achievements of some other individual.
The paper and the printing have no more value than any
other printed matter.
The worthwhileness is all in what is represented by the
authority and the integrity of the persons, of the offices of the
people, who have signed and sealed the diploma.
All recognized schools grant diplomas. These diplomas
are often of great value to the student in getting a start in
after-life. The point is, however, that the more the school is
recognized the more valuable the diploma becomes. We know
of a colored herb doctor, whose window is a veritable museum
of conglomerate remedies, who proudly displays the diploma
of some correspondence course which grants him the degree
of “Doctor of Philosophical Wisdom.” We have seen dozens
of diplomas that have no more worth than yesterday’s news¬
paper, because the schools granting them were of corresponding
value.
You can not buy a diploma, that has any value whatever,
with any currency but knowledge and ability acquired by hard
work.
Unless you are one of those fortunate people who have the
gift of teaching themselves, you will have to pay for the in¬
struction leading to knowledge. You may go to the very
finest teacher in the world and get the best instruction; but,
unless you have the gift of assimilating it and have the ambition
and energy to take advantage of it, you may fail dismally and
never be entitled to a diploma.
Then, who shall say whether you are entitled to a diploma
or not. We know of one firm which has spent a fortune in
advertising books, sold at a ridiculously high price, which
actually granted a diploma to two children entitling them to
teach piano when the children were really cornetists. This
stamped, once and for all, every diploma issued by such a firm
as a flagrant fraud. No publishing house making a business
of selling music has any right to confer a diploma.
The Only Policy
“One lesson, and only one, history may be said to repeat
with distinctness; that the world is built somehow on moral
foundations; that in the long run it is well with the good; in the
long run it is ill with the wicked.”— James Anthony Froude.
Several times we have printed the above quotation in The
Etude. Its great significance lies in the fact that the famous
English historian, at the prime of a lifetime devoted to the study
■ of the history of all time, decided to write a short essay epito¬
mizing all that he had learned from his immense researches. He
began the essay in part with the words we have reprinted.
It is comforting to have reiterated the great truth that
the right survives and the wrong perishes. We do not have to
go to Kant or Froude to learn that “The essence of true nobility
is neglect of self,” that “Right is the sacrifice of self to good
and wrong the sacrifice of good to self, one the object of infinite
love, the other the object of infinite detestation and scorn.”
No sensible person denies the element of self-interest in every
professional or business undertaking; but it has come to be the
code of all sensible men to look out for the interests of the other
fellow as a matter of decent business policy. Such businesses
are the ones which inevitably survive in the long run.
All this preamble is the result of reading a great many let-
_
|.
ters received from musicians in all parts of the country complain¬
ing of the methods employed by certain firms in attempting to
make the public believe, that through some undefined power
they can compel the profession to use their publications to the
exclusion of all others and at the same time offering diplomas,
medals, scholarships and what not, as bait for the introduction
of their methods to the exclusion of others. Judging from
the letters we have received, the detestation and scorn oi the
responsible members of the musical profession in America for
these purely commercial methods are unbounded.
If a method or a collection of books is really worth while,
nothing can stand in the way of its success. It will not be
necessary to employ musical mercenaries to exploit it, nor will it
be necessary to use threats of legislative action which would
compel every teacher to use state standardized proprietary
methods. No uncorrupted legislative body in America ever will
compel any such action. Such threats are ludicrous, and only
the unsophisticated back-woods teacher is intimidated by them.
When we recount the number of teachers who have told us of the
prodigious sums they have expended to firms publishing such
proprietary methods, only to discard them in disgust after a
comparatively short trial, the future of such schemes is evident,
no matter how much may be spent to exploit them.
There are numerous excellent sets, collections and methods
published by the best American publishers at a fair price and
sold by decent methods, without any attempt to bamboozle the
purchaser into believing that, he is buying anything but the
regular legitimate educational materials.
The latest trick employed by unscrupulous firms is to
advertise all sorts of additional advantages in the way of scholar¬
ships, diplomas, medals, etc. The purchaser is approached by
glib agents who talk fluently of the wonderful “free” advan¬
tages. The prospect, filled with excitement by the ideas that he
has been awarded something for nothing by some beneficent
proprietary firm, signs a blank without reading the context.
Shortly he receives a set of books and a bill that nearly “knocks
his head off.” The blank was really an order for the books, a
cheap book agent dodge—simply the old lightning rod swindle
again. If the purchaser refuses to pay he is threatened with
suit. Never sign anything presented by a stranger without
reading every speck of type on the page.
This nefarious scheme has been tried out time and again
by book publishing firms. Such firms last for a time and then
vanish. Why? Read the quotation from James Anthony
Froude. -
Dollars and Cents in Music
Over four times as many phonographs and records were man¬
ufactured in the United States, in 1919, as in 1914. The piano
'industry nearly doub'ed itself. Industrially, America seems to
be leading the world in music.
Blasco Ibanez, the great Spanish thinker and novelist, has
pointed out that this is the age of music, that music is the great
product of our times and one of the greatest forces of the
moment. While much of the commercial advance in music in
recent years must of course be credited to the manufacture o»
very raw and very much machine-made stuff, one must always
remember that in a country developing as rapidly as the United
States and attempting to assimilate millions of people from
other lands as well as our own, whose educational advantages
in the past have been almost nil, we must pass through the oil¬
cloth and ingrain carpet stage, before we can walk on beautiful
tapestries.
Notwithstanding the trash and junk poured out of “music
factories,” if it were possible to make a musical assay it would
probably be found that the musical status of America compares
on the whole quite favorably with any country anywhere.
It may be interesting to note “that the manufacture of
musical wares in the United States during 1919 was over
$325,000,000.00. Immense numbers of people are supported
thereby and millions of others are inspired through music to
higher and greater accomplishments. It is only in such manner
that we can even imagine the tremendous practical value of
music to the state at this time.
.: ;■ - ’ : ^
______
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 559
How to Develop Staccato Touch
By TOBIAS MATTHAY
Eminent English Pedagogical Specialist Sometimes Known as “The English Leschetizky
To ask me to answer this question is on a par with
asking a painter “how to learn to paint red”, or to paint
green! One does not learn how to paint red nor green,
but, in the first instance, one must learn how to paint
correctly! Similarly, one cannot learn to play Staccato
without in the first instance learning how to produce
tone correctly; and one of the incidents in achieving this
last is that it will also enable us to produce staccato and
legato results.
But we cannot learn to produce tone correctly without
going into the whole question of how to play the Piano¬
forte. Now success here depends primarily on two quite
distinct though ever closely related factors: (1) musical
perception and attention; and (2) production of the
sounds required to express the results of such musical
attention and perception. Both aspects of this problem
must be studied and their laws understood if we would
succeed pianistically; and these two aspects must always
be studied in conjunction. Seeing then that all these
things inevitably go hand in hand, I must therefore, in
order to answer the question, try to cover the whole
ground of the fundamental principles of Piano-playing,
or at least must try to touch upon the main facts and
laws concerned.
To begin, there is no such thing as “Staccato-touch”.
The act of Touch is only another name for the act of
tone-production; and this completed, may, as an after¬
effect, be followed either by legato, or by the shortest
form of duration— staccato. In other words, the act of
tone-production, when completed, may either be followed
by an instantaneous damping of the sound (staccatis-
simo), or the produced sound may be allowed to continue
for the full value of the written note, or any part of that
value—more, or less Tenuto or even legato, or may be
allowed to continue even beyond such written value-
forming that over-lapping of sounds termed legatissimo.
Ceasing Tone
In short, the act of touch, proper (the act of tone-
production) must be completed before there can be any
question of continuation or non-continuation of the sound.
Hence we cannot learn how to cease sound, unless we
first understand how to make sound. Clearly then realize
that the act of Touch and the act of Continuation are two
quite distinct things. The first depends on how you
make the key go down, and the second depends on how
long you hold it down afterwards. Most of the mis¬
chief in the now out-of-date, emperic teachings arose
from non-recognition of this simple fact.
In the old days, when nothing was known of the true
fundamentals of Technique—the means of expression
and execution—the student was told to play staccato and
legato, but was not told how this was to be accomplished,
nor was he told anything of the laws that underlie the
processes of playing, generally. Instead he was given
miles of scales, exercises and studies, with the forlorn
hope that he might tumble to it somehow, by good luck.
Unfortunately most students never seemed to have any
luck that way!
Thus, also, the old ideas (?) of staccato “touch” were
quite hazy, and incredibly erroneous, just as were those
concerning legato and the act of touch itself. Since it
was not realized that the act of producing the tone
may be precisely the same whether we are playing
staccato or legato, it was absurdly supposed that “stacca¬
to” implied some special way of going at the key! In
fact, there was no glimmering of the truth that every¬
thing, so far as tone is concerned, depends on what we
do with the key during its down-movement. Instead
for staccato, the illuminating advice was given, that we
must play “as if picking up burning cinders”—a truly
monumental piece of misdirection!
Indeed, had it not been for the persuasive example of
the great artists one heard—the Rubinsteins, the Liszts,
etc.—and who unknowingly, did all the right things,
technically and musically, none of us ever would have
learned to play successfully.
Besides this, we had criminal mis-teachings of Touch
itself. We were told that “the finger only must be used.”
that it must be “a little hammer-like action of the finger”
coupled with an absurd lifting of the fingers, so as to
enable us better to “strike the key down,” which one
should never do. We were even told to “lay a penny on
the back of the hand, to keep it quiet,” with the result
thjt many unfortunates were led to form those terrible
habits of stiffening the fingers, hands and arms which
effectually prevented their ever reaching any possibility of
self-expression, and turned Piano-playing for them into
purgatory instead of heaven. Then we had “methods” of
playing based upon “holding the knuckles in,” or the
fetish, “Pressure,” indiscriminately applied, thus again
achieving the same certainty of being debarred from ever
playing easily. And when, at last, there was a little lift¬
ing of the cloud of superstition, and some began to realize
that “free weight” was at the bottom of things, then they
spoilt all, by failing to recognize the whole truth, and
instead taught fully resting weight, fully passed on
from note to note, thus again wrecking many a would-be
and could-be artist for life.
Let the Damper Rebound
All such foolishness of the old fully-fledged or half-
fledged empiric methods becomes impossible, once the
simple fact is recognized, that the hammer instantly re¬
bounds from the string the moment the key’s depression
is completed, even when we play legato, and in spite of
the fact that we keep the key down, and that, therefore,
nothing further can possibly be done to alter the tone,
however mnch we may press, squeeze or weigh upon the
key after that. Holding the key down (for tenuto or
legato) simply means that the damper is kept off the
strings, and that these therefore, continue sounding —
softer and softer—so long as the key is held depressed-’
and it requires indeed a very slight effort to encompass
that! Whereas, to obtain Staccato, we must see to it that
the damper, itself, is also allowed to rebound, and thus
to stop the sound almost at the moment of its birth.
Hence, finally, to achieve the sharpest staccato, we must
learn to allow the key itself to be free to rebound up¬
wards. Staccatissinio itself, however, is but com¬
paratively rarely required in playing. As a matter of
fact, most supposed staccato passages are not really
staccato at all—staccato meaning totally lacking in Dura¬
tion; whereas most of such passages really consist of
notes given with some degree of Duration; not notes
really as short-sounding as possible, but held slightly,
though, may be, very slightly indeed. Thus, in learning
to play staccato passages, we must learn to give all shades
of Duration from almost full legato (or tenuto) down to
practically no Duration whatever—staccatissimo.
To sum this up: the difference between Staccato and
Legato (as shown) depends on what we do after the
act of tone-production (the act of touch) has been com¬
pleted; and since we can folloiv the act of touch
either by a tenuto or staccato, it is clear that staccato
does not imply a different kind of tone-production than
does legato. In staccato the act of ton e-making is more
or less immediately followed by the act of tone-stopping,
that is all!
Hence it comes to this, that if we would understand
“staccato-playing”—tone-stopping—we must properly un¬
derstand that which precedes it—the process of tone¬
making. Here the first thing to learn is that the act
of tone-making implies an act of attention; and that this
act of attention is duplex in its nature—it implies both
timing the key and feeling the key. As to “timing
the key” this means that we must time our action with
the key so that this act culminates and finishes at the very
moment that the tone begins, a moment determined in the
first place by the musical time-place of each note, and
in the second place by the mechanism of the Piano-key,
by the place during key-decent where the hopper slips
from underneath the hammer. As to “feeling the key”
this means that we must physically feel what force the
key requires from us, so that the sound produced shall
be precisely in consonance with our musical judgment
and feeling at the moment.
Aural and Muscular Sense
Now to ensure the first element of this duplex form of
attention (and doing) we must be alert aurally\ and
to ensure the second we must be alert through our “mus¬
cular-sense”—or “kinaesthetic sense,” as the later psychol¬
ogists have now dubbed it.
The act of timing and feeling the key, in this sense, is
best realized by the practice of one of the first experi¬
mental exercises given in one of my works,—
Here are the directions, in brief:
(I) Sound the notes of a convenient chord by
carefully weighing the keys down—which means,
employ arm-release strictly in answer to the resist¬
ance those keys are felt to offer you during their
descent.
(II) Repeat the preceding experiment, but now,
at a definitely purposed moment “let go" at the
wrist-jont—that is, omit the slight exertion of the
hand which you find sustains the weight of the arm
at the wrist; the fingers continue to hold the chord
as before, while the wrist drops.
(III) Repeat this last, but now cause the weight
to “disappear” at the very moment that it is left in
the lurch at the wrist through the cessation of the
hand’s exertion—the arm. in fact, becoming supported
by its own muscles, and thus ceasing to bear down¬
wards upon the hand, fingers and keys. Be sure to
time the cessation of all finger-exertion as well as
hand-exertion at this very moment, and you will find
that the keys will then rise, carrying up with them
the fingers still loosely lying upon them, and thus
ceasing the sound.
(IV) Finally, learn to time this last process at the
very moment that the tohe appetrs, and you obtain a
perfect staccato.
In studying this exercise, we learn to realize two most
important facts : (1) the extreme shortness of the time
occupied in making the tone—during key-descent only;
and (2) that the cessation of the ' tcne depends solely
THE ETUDE
Page 560 SEPTEMBER 1921
and purely upon the complete and accurate cessation
of all the energy employed during the production ot
the tone. Incidentally we also learn to attend to key-
resistance during key-descent (without which there can
he no accuracy musically) ; and we also learn to listen
for (and to) the implicated sound each time.
Moreover, we begin to realize that basic of all truths,
that Music always and ever implies Movement or Pro¬
gression ; and this last I consider to be the most im¬
portant of all my teachings. Thus, as I have pointed
out elsewhere: (1) we have the movement of the
key itself towards the place in key-descent where tone
begins; (2) the movement of groups of quick notes
towards the pulse (or beat) ahead; (3) the movement
of the phrase towards its rhythmical climax, near the
end of it ; and again the movement of successions of
phrases towards the more important landmarks of a
composition; and finally, its progress towards the com¬
pletion of its shape—always Movement, Progression and
Growth. No musician ever has felt Music apart from
such sense of the progression of it, although not neces¬
sarily aware of this true explanation of his sensation of
musical-shape. But here again the actual teachings of
the old days was as misleading for the poor student, as
it well could be. Instead of being told to look for the
natural movement and growth underlying all musical
experience, he was given the supposed explanation that
it consisted of chunks of “accented or unaccented notes,
—brick and mortar, dead, lifeless and futile!
Moreover, the little exercise just described also leads
us to recognize that the process of tone-production
physically depends on the interaction of three main ele¬
ments, finger-exertion, hand-exertion and arm-weight-
forearm and upper-arm may be distinguished later. All
these three elements have their bearing upon every kind
of touch, but their balance has to be modified in harmony
with the ever-changing requirements of Tone, Duration,
and of Agility. Finally, there is a fourth element of
Touch, the Forearm Rotation element, which perhaps
is the most important of all, since misapplication of it
is by far the most frequent cause of technical failure.
Let me therefore try to make this clear, so far as this
can be done in a few words.
The Thumb in Technic
Realize that the two bones of the forearm are so pivot¬
ed at the elbow that the “natural” position of the hand
is with the thumb upwards, and that to bring the hand
into its playing position at the keyboard, these two bones
have to be twisted one upon the other, and that this
implies a muscular exertion, although a slight one,
and this exertion must be continued to prevent the hand
and arm rolling back into their passive position. It is
plain therefore that none can go to the Piano without
making this “forearm rotatory exertion” towards the
thumb-side of the hand. Now that is where all the error
creeps in. Not being aware of the exertion he is mak¬
ing rotationally towards the thumb, he continues this
exertion, while intending to use some other finger
say the fourth or fifth finger, and is surprised to find
these quite helpless and apparently “weak.” Hence have
arisen those millions of exercises and studies, written
with the forlorn hope of overcoming this deficiency—by
accident! Needless to point out that the practice of
such material, with the forearm held stiffly, rotationally,
will only tend to form into unbreakable habit one of the
worst faults to which it is possible to succumb.
The correction of this, like all other technical faults,
is entirely mental. The sufferer must be made to realize
that, when he wishes to use any other finger after the
thumb, it is imperative that he must, in the first place
cease the rotational effort (however slight) which he
is making towards the thumb—he must eliminate the
exertion which is preventing his having any basis for
the exertion of the supposed two “weak” fingers. With
the cessation of the rotational exertion towards the
thumb, the fourth and fifth fingers at once become
“strong,” because the tendency of the forearm to roll
over towards them now supplies quite a satisfactory ba¬
sis for their action up to a considerable tone-amount;
and, if still more is required, the forearm is exerted
in addition in their favor.
Eight Steps
Being perhaps the most important of all my technical
teachings, let me summarize the successive steps I have
previous shown to be the only logical succession in sur¬
mounting rational difficulties, and also so-called “finger-
individualization” in particular: —
Step I:—With the hand gently clenched as a fist,
and held sideways (with thumb upwards,) sound two
adjacent black keys by weight-release of the whole
arm. Play the two notes quite softly and evenly.
Step II -.—Now turn the hand over into its usual
playing position (with knuckles up) and still with
the fist play the same exercise. .,. , r ,
S tc p ] 11 -—Playing quite softly, still zmth the fist,
nozo rock from side to side, sounding the notes
PP
Step IV:—You have now learned to play the
legato-resting. Next repeat this rocking from side
to side upon the keyboard, but without sounding
the notes at all, and you have the form of “ resting”
required for Staccato. Finally add a light jerk of
the forearm, as you reach each note alternately, thus
sounding it, and uow make a crescendo towards the
end-note of the rhythmical figure, in fact playing the
final note quite loudly.
You have now added the tone-making impulse
for each sound, while the “resting” continues for
the duration of each figure. Whether the result is a
legato passage or a staccato passage is determined
by your resting either in the first or second way.
Here also you have the basis of all finger passages
_ a "finger" passage played zxrithout using the fingers
at all! In fact, do not be satisfied until you can
(really quite easily) play the above figure up to quite
a good speed.
Step V:—After this, unbend the fingers, and
practice again the last two steps, but now use any
set of two fingers, such as 1-3, 2-3, or 3-5; such
exertion of the fingers corresponding to the degree
of the forearm rotational jerks supplied as a basis
for their action.
Steps VI, VII and VIII -.—Are details leading up
to the correct playing of the five-finger succession of
notes—that reminiscence of the many eznl hours
spent in our childhood!
Thus, in answering the question “hew to learn Stacca¬
to-touch,” we see it is impossible to consider any such
point in Technique without the bearing upon it of the
f undamental laws of all technique, and indeed of those
of Interpretation itself. In short, the laws of Technique
and those of Interpretation are indissolubly bound togeth¬
er, and perhaps most of the mischief in the past has
arisen from the attempt to study Technique dissociated
from Music, whereas the first care of the teacher should
be to insist on the close bond there is between them.
Musical sense cannot be expressed without perfect
mastery of Technique, but Technique cannot be achieved
unless definite musical purpose is kept before one as the
aim and end-all of every technical effort attempted.
Acquiring Technique is all a matter of association, and
in the end every nuance of Technique must arise sponta¬
neously in responce to our vivid sensing of musical feel¬
ing itself.
Motives and Measure Bars
By Sidney Bushell
A good deal of confusion often exists in the mind of
the pupil owing to improper instruction regarding the
above. He is informed that a certain time signature
indicates so many beats to the measure and that every
measure must be of equal value. While this may be
true almost without exception, it is more by coincidence
than intent, as will be shown.
The real purpose of the time signature is not to in¬
dicate the number of beats to a measure, but the number
of beats to a motive. Thus, in % time (three quarter
notes to the motive), it will frequently be found that
the first and last measures of the piece will be unequal.
Upon inquiry, the pupil will be hazily informed that the
balance of the first measure will be found at the end
of the selection. Why it should be thus split up no sat¬
isfactory explanation is proffered.
Now the purpose of the measure bar is to indicate
where the accent falls in the motive, which is on the note
immediately following the measure bar. This note is
known as the melisma note, and since, as a rule, the
same motive is preserved throughout the piece, it natur¬
ally follows that the measure bar always appears at
regular intervals once the accent is established, and con¬
sequently, the number of “beats to a measure” will tally
throughout, with the frequent exception of the first and
last measures.
Twenty “Dont’s” for Piano Teachers
The following were selected by the class in Musical
Pedagogy at Judson College, Ala., under the direction I
of Edward Leeson Powers:
1 Don’t stop studying. Study teaching^ Read The
Etude. Take lessons if possible. Broaden your- I
self along general as well as musical lines
2 Don’t use example without explanation and vice
' versa: the average pupil gets but little from either
used alone. They are likely to be con using and
misleading unless one is used to supplement the
3 Don’t^take it for granted that your pupil under¬
stands In some way make him prove it, by
explaining in his own words or by demonstration.
The mere assertion that he understands is not a
4. Don’t let interest flag. Without interest there will
be but little progress. The first essential is that
you be intensely interested yourself.
5. Don’t ignore a pupil’s likes and dislikes. His inter¬
est and his musical development will depend upon
consulting his preferences as far as is compatible
with sound musical and pedagogical principles. His
pieces should be such that he can learn to like them
within a reasonable time. It is not necessary that
they should 1 please him at first.
6. Don’t fail to be punctual, businesslike and system¬
atic. These things are essential. However,
teaching should not be purely a business proposi¬
tion. One should enjoy it and not think too much
about the money it brings it.
7. Don’t let outside affairs interfere with your work.
Recreation is necessary but should be kept second¬
ary. Outside affairs may be so regulated that
they help. One should be helpful in the life of the
community but not at the expense of his work as a
teacher.
8. Don’t tell too much, but teach by questioning. Ques¬
tions compel attention, stimulate interest and
require the pupil to think for himself.
9. Don’t use praise or censure unwisely. These
are powerful forces for good when used witli
discretion; but they are capable of doing much
harm if used too much or at the wrong time.
10. Don’t say “DON’T” when you can say “DO.”
Attention should be on the thing to be done instead
of on the thing to be avoided. Moreover.
“DON’TS” irritate and rub the wrong way.
11. Don’t get into ruts. Variety is better than monotony.
Surprise your pupils now and then; they will enjoy
it and it will make your work more interesting for
12. Don’t neglect the development of your pupil’s musi¬
cal sense. Better neglect the fingers than the
ear. Unless the pupil hears and feels musically,
any finger training he gets will be of little value
13. Don’t be vague and indefinite. Definite aims and
clear comprehension are essential to intelligent
practice. Require definite things. Some definite
goal constantly in sight saves much time and
makes the work fascinating.
14. Don’t tolerate carelessness or thoughtlessness.
Nearly all pupils will have these faults if the
teacher is at all tolerant of them.
15. Don’t give up until all means have been tried. Per¬
haps the trouble is with your diagnosis; if you are
sure that is right change your prescription.
Remember there is no occupation that requires more
ingenuity, patience and perseverance than does the
teaching of music.
16. Don’t neglect health. You cannot have the steady
nerves and the cheerful disposition you will need
unless you are physically fit.
17. Don’t be careless in appearance, manners or speech.
Refinement and culture are as important as knowl¬
edge and skill. The time lias passed when
musicians were expected to be crude, cranky and
queer.
18. Don’t forget that your greatest tasks are to teach
your pupil how to practice and help him to
love music. These are fundamental; if you can
succeed in these the battle is more than half won.
19. Don’t attempt to fit the pupil to a system. Since
no two pupils are alike your teaching will have
to be varied to suit the taste, disposition, ability,
ambition and mental and physical peculiarities of
each pupil.
20. Don’t forget the Golden Rule. If you apply it con¬
stantly you will be considerate, agreeable and sin¬
cere and will give the best that you have to every
pupil in every lesson.
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 561
F O N
/ \ : 5 ' : '■ v''" ' ti . ■ ■
.
fiK
A Square Deal for the Music Teacher
Let Us Have a Better Financial Status for the Professional Musician
;
By CHARLES E. WATT
1
(Mr Watt takes the very definite stand that ‘‘the la¬
borer is worthy of his hire." He claims that American
musicians have practically no professional status and that
the remedy is for all professional musicians to insist upon
a charge for every possible kind of musical service.
Everyone knows how sensitive the average lazier or the
average physician is about being approached for profes¬
sional advice except through regular channels. We feel
however that recognition of the profession will not come
entirely by making a stiff stand for proper business com¬
pensation. Gatherings of representative musicians at
which the foremost men of the community attest their in¬
terest and belief in music, after the manner of the highly
successful Banquets if the Philadelphia Music Teachers
Association, have a great power in impressing the layman
and identifying the profession of music as one no longer
the monoply of itinerant music teachers or long haired
sensualists .— Editor’s Note.)
The professional musician, native born, has hardly any
established status to-day, in many parts of the United
States. He may, and does at times, through individual
merit or a combination of fortuitous circumstances rise to
a position of honor and money making; but, on the
whole, the public has no method of differentiating him
from the student, the amateur or the dilettante and he is
classed, indiscriminately, with all of them and at the
same time a preponderance of favor is still thrown to the
foreigner. . ,
According to Webster the dilettante is one who pur¬
sues music (or any of the fine arts or sciences) merely
as a pastime. The Amateur, according to the same
authority, is one who cultivates an art or study from love
of attainment and without reference to gain or emo u-
ment. The Student, basically (although all musicians
must remain students of a kind through life), is one
who has not yet sufficient technic, repertoire or interpre¬
tative intelligence to entitle him to be ranked as ready
for paid work. The Professional, on the contrary, is
one whose attainments in all these lines,and m many
others is such (or should be) that he is amply ready to
take up any definite piece of employment in his particu¬
lar line and do it skillfully and artistically, with due ref¬
erence to the art in general and of all other educational
considerations.
The amateur and the dilletante classes are absolutely
necessary for the proper development and support of
music in a community; for it is they who buy tickets for
concerts and in every way support the growing musical
interests of the place. Without students the prospect for
any continued life for music in any given locality would
be indeed meager. But, all’of these are positively in
different relation to the art and to the public than is the
professional musician; and this relation should be under¬
stood both by them and the public.
The professional musician always has been too. much
absorbed in his own work to think much about this and
“too busy” to take the proper steps to protect himseli;
but, in these times of difficult living, a state of things has
Arrived when he must take the necessary action or he will
be utterly overthrown by the force of circumstances. .
- In the “Nothing for Nothing” propaganda, the basic
idea is that all professional musicians must receive ade¬
quate pay for every bit of public work done and must not
under any circumstances belittle and enervate their earn¬
ing powers by giving away either lessons or public
appearances. This meets the objection that (m many
localities at least) the public has been so steeped with the
idea that music is a God-given-thing, and as such must
be turned back to all His creatures free of cost o'- obliga¬
tion, that it seems impossible to do more than get pay for
actual lessons, and that it is only the really noteworthy
artists who can secure pay for public singing or playing.
r singing in the church is considered as the
sympathy and almost all concert appearances as “for the
good of the cause.” .,
Of course, in the larger musical centers these ideas
are rapidly being done away with and there are to-day
hundreds of musicians, yes, thousands,, who get pay for
appearing in churches, theatres, movie houses, lodges,
clubs, concerts, private musicales, weddings and funerals
But, this state of things should be universal instead of
merely sporadic; and it should become the earnest and
persistent effort of professionalism to make it so. And
the whole process harks back to the statement that.the
public must appreciate and respect the difference between
dilettante, amateur and student classes as measured up
against professionalism; and the latter class must insist
also upon a higher status within its own ranks than can
possibly be attained by the other classes.
Association Hints
Beginning with the Music Teachers’ National Associa¬
tion, there should be no cessation of agitation until
standards are established and examinations instituted
whereby the work of professional musicians—teaching or
concert—shall be required to reach a certain point of
excellence and remain without faltering. Then the
states must take this up individually and insist upon
standardization of teaching and playing and this must be
followed by communities and individual schools and insti¬
tutions. And having such a standard established, those
whose lives are devoted to music and whose living de¬
pends upon it, must assume an attitude of inflexible de¬
termination that no work of their status is to be given
away under any circumstance.
The Public accepts -work at the appraisement of the
workers, and for musicians to falter in their determina¬
tion to set standards and prices and maintain them is
but to invite an indefinite continuance of the idea that all
music is, sometimes, procurable for nothing. The dilet¬
tante and the amateur should, as a rule, stay out of paid
positions, or at least they should not work gratuitously in
those which should yield pay; and in those few cases
where it seems fair and desirable for them to do any
public work at salary they should stubbornly maintain a
price and conditions which will aid professionals to hold
the same ground.
An Unusual Position
A certain wonderful ■ young contralto whose career on
the American concert stage was an object lesson of what
can be done by a brainy, talented American girl to bring
herself to the very top, married a man of wealth and
immediately and permanently retired from all public life.
“For,” said she “I no longer need the money and there¬
fore. if I sing for money I am taking it away from
those who need it more. If I sing for nothing I am ruin¬
ing the market for all professional singers and so here¬
after I will sing only vyhen the spirit prompts me to give
a musicale at my own home where I can invite my
personal friends merely as guests and where my singing
becomes just a part of the entertainment I have to offer
them”. In this attitude the singer was absolutely right
and should be emulated by every one of talent and
achievement whose circumstances are such that they do
not wish to appear as/professionals.
As for the student, no matter how promising he is and
no matter how fine m37 seem his work, he should play
only for studio affairs, small church concerts (of his own
church), in the homes.of his personal friends or as co¬
worker in Music Study Clubs of which he is a member.
He should not, under any circumstances, be allowed by
his teacher to play at any sort of concert or entertain-
ment where pay should.logically be given to a profession-
al. Churches, lodges, societies of all kinds should insist
upon professional attainment and should pay professional
prices for all their entertainment; and, in those cases
where they will not do so, every professional should
utterly refuse any service and should thus leave them to
acquire, painfully perhaps, a knowledge of the differ¬
ence between unguided student endeavor and that which
can be supplied by the professional.
There is far too prevalent an idea, even in the music
studios and schools, that it is advantageous for the young,
ster to appear occasionally (even if gratuitously) at the
homes of the rich and before influential societies; “for,”
they argue, “this gives both experience and extended ac¬
quaintance which will be useful later”. As for the ex¬
perience, it can be better attained in well regulated studio
and home functions; and as for the “paying acquaint¬
ance” there is no fallacy under the sun so perverse and so
absolute as to imagine its.possibility. Thousands of rich
women (solo and en masse) will use the budding talent
and development of the young musician to help while
away an afternoon or evening; but, having done this, will
have absolutely no thought of future paid service.
“Why”, they will ask nonchalantly, “should we pay
money now for that which was given us for nothing
earlier even, in fact, in some cases, flung at our heads ?”
And so, when the really big occasion, with pay, rolls
around, they will invariably disappoint the young singer
or player who has appeared before them for nothing and
will give the engagement to an established professional.
How Can One Make a Start
“But how”, again is asked, “can one become profes¬
sional without making the appearances?” One almost
loses patience in answering this absurd question; but
two instances which may be cited will perhaps do it bet¬
ter than any long winded arguments.
Amelita Galli-Curci, who is to-day making as much, if
not more money than any artist singing in America, did
not come to Chicago and offer herself to rich society
women for nothing in the hope of “future pay engage¬
ments,” neither did she sing for Womens’ Clubs or
Societies or in Benefit Concerts. Knowing that she had
the voice, the preparation and the repertoire she went to
Headquarters, the Grand Opera, and offered her wares.
Her first appearance was at an adequate fee and this was
followed immediately by a contract of unusual import.
“But,” it may be argued, she had great talent.” That is
very true; but, had she assumed anything less than the
strictly professional attitude of appraising her own wares
at a fair price, she might have wasted all her singing
years in vain appeals to that very crowd of society women
who would have heard her in their parlors for. nothing
and afterward disdained her, but who now crowd any
concert hall or opera house in which she may appear.
For the second example the writer has in mind a young
tenor who came to Chicago once and who, on advice, de¬
termined that his voice was the equivalent of money and
that he would not dissipate its value by any free singing.
He had not much backing or actual means and he knew
that he had to study several years and also support his
family; but, instead of currying favor from anybody he
sang in cabaret for a salary and refused even church
choir work except at rational pay. So soon as his in¬
tense study began to bear fruits he was offered one
church position after another until he had reached the
actual top in Chicago in the matter of pay and promi¬
nence and this was followed by engagements at the
• Opera and one of the finest concert tours ever fulfilled
by a young American artist. “I have never, absolutely
never,” he declared to me, “sung for nothing; and if l
had it all to do again, I would stick to the cabaret work
all my life at a salary rather than ever attempt to gam
prestige and curry favor through free appearances in so-
called influential houses and before so-named powerful
clubs and societies. These factors now buy me at a
price if they want me; but, had they ever heard me with
“nothing” printed on the tickets, they would not now
THE ETUDE
Page 562 SEPTEMBER 1921
These experiences may be made universal. AU free
lessons may be suspended, and every bit°l ss 7onal
may be eliminated from the schedule of th c Professional
musician, if he will but teach the public carefully ^dif¬
ferences between non-professional classes an
and if he will insist upon adequate pay for every public
endeavor even if this entails eventually-Umons of ah
classes of professional musicians in every city an
^As^the exact moment when the student may step
from that class into the professional, circumstances and
individualism must determine. As stated earlier m t
article, the real artist never ceases o be an earnest stu-
dent; but, this does not mean at all that there ts
time when the step from the one class to the othe
should be definitely made. When the student has technic,
repertoire, theoretical knowledge, interpretative mdcpend-
ence and sufficient routine (gained m the home and the
studio) and determined by graduation from * "liable
college or certified by an absolutely goodteacher, he
should assume to himself and announce to the world the
fact that he is a professional musician and tliererfter
should never allow any infringement of his rights or
belittlement of his status.
Teaching Table Exercises To Beginners
No Missed Lessons
By Mrs. H. B. Hudson
At last I have solved the "missed lesson” problem,
-to my own satisfaction, at least. I offer each pupil not
absent from a lesson for eight consecutive weeks a
prize, to be presented at a Parlor Musicale, when the
parents and friends are present. . •
This plan works like a charm, and is a loss ne ffier
financially nor musically, as it results in more lessons,
increased interest and better work.
“The Wrong Thing”
By E. M. Pierce
In a story under the above title Kipling tells of an
ambitious young ‘architect in the days ° f Henry
Seventh, who won fame and was knighted by the king,
vet felt no real satisfaction with his honors because he
was aware that they came, not from the exoeHence °f
his work, but because a suggestion he had made for
some Jetty economy in the matter of an ornament for
the bow of a ship had pleased the king s fancy^
Everyone likes to be praised, but the feeling is far
sweeter if one can see that the praise is not only sincere
but intelligently appreciative. Owing to the fact: that
music is a somewhat elusive subject to be handled by
words it is probable that musicians have to listen to
more silly and inept remarks, even from the most well-
meaning lips, than any other class of people.
Some actual examples— . , . . k
"Oh I am so fond of orchestral music—I love noth¬
ing better than to hear all the instruments tuning up
and.getting ready!” Which remark sounds to a mm
sician very much as if a guest at table should exclaim
to the hostess, “Oh, I am so fond of eating-how 1
would love to see your cook cleaning a fish
"Really, my friends, you must not miss Mr. C s recital.
I heard him last week, and he is simply wonderful-
charming-he has just the loveliest brown <*«'
The first of these gems of language was mcrhea d
' in Champaign, Ill., the second in Ashv.lle, N. C. Bu
people living in populous centers are by no means proof
against equal absurdities. King Ludwig of Bavaria,
that eccentric monarch who befriended Wagner so
timefully, furnishes the most classical example. A
certain great violinist-some say Rcm™y.-had been
playing before the king, and naturally had exerted him¬
self to do his best. King Ludwig came forward to com¬
pliment him, and his face betokened that the violinist
had made a most favorable impression. In my youth
he began, “I heard Paganini , (the violinist bowed re¬
spectfully at the name of the great virtuoso). I also
heard Spohr (another bow). “In later years I have
greatly enpoyed listening to Joachim and Sarasate, both
great ^artists, and yet so entirely different m sty e, are
thev not?” (the violinist bowed respectful assent). _ It
is interesting to compare the style of different artists.
As I listened to you I compared you with Paganini,
with Spohr, with Joachim, with Sarasate, and, would
you believe it, none of them, none of them (violinist s
heart beat violently-this is surely going to be some
compliment), not one of them ever sweat the way
you do!’’
“Do you advise teaching table exercises to beginners .
Is it not better to give the child something to play at
once, something which will satisfy his musical long¬
ing?”. This much mooted question appears regularly in
the query columns of our various musical magazines.
In answer there seems to be no consensus of opinion
but the very fact that the question is asked would seem
to me an indication that, underneath the teacher s ap¬
parent disinclination to include table work in the firs
lessons, is a conscientious feeling that, after all, possi¬
ble b-nefit from their use might be realized.
Many regard table exercises as dry and uninteresting
to pupils and fear that to use them at the commence¬
ment of their music study would destroy their love ot
the subject. On the other hand, I know that a bright,
attractive teaching piece could be presented m such an
indifferent way as not to appeal to the pupil at all. 'A
great deal depends on the personality of the teacher.
Fortunate, indeed, is the one who can take an appar¬
ently uninteresting phase of a subject and, with his own
enthusiasm and magnetism, invest it with a charm which
will hold the attention of the most apathetic pupil. It
imagination is brought generously into play in connec¬
tion with this table work, the children will enjoy it. 1
speak from experience.
In hand shaping, the hand may be compared to a
little house, the roof of which must not cave in (we
would not care to have the roof of our home suddenly
fall in, would we?) while the thumb, stretched out
from the metacarpal or acting joint, forms a lovely
rounded porch. The four remaining fingers are the
pillars or supports for the roof, and of course these
must be strong and firm and must not sink in at the
shaping joints. The children will take great pride in
fornrug these little houses at the table.
Finger Action
The next step will be finger action itself, the simple rais¬
ing and lowering of each flngei
would not b
Bach linger for eight counts.
_ , „„„ „„..ittle pupil for growing weary
Rather with a hearty voice and a bright smile, say some
thing to this effect: “Bobby, what do you think—you cai
never guess! Our little house has five elevators in it, am
-" - way up to the roof garden, where
By Mae-Aileen Erb
enough t° Set the pencil^ "^^eTy''will promise to’ get
head, 6 while^^imuimneo^rnly.^the fingers are receiving valu¬
able training.
The teacher should be constantly alert, and, at the
least sign of waning interest in the elevator story a
new one must be ready. Possibly it will be about a
regiment of soldiers; or, if two fingers are acting at
the same time, a see-saw. The child, himself wdl
become a prolific inventor of these stories, and the
teacher’s problem is happily solved.
Even should the child not practice these table exei-
cises at home by himself, the weekly or bi-weekly drill
under his instructor’s supervision will gradually make
an impression on his mind, and he will form correct
ideas of hand position and finger conditions. which he
will apply consciously, or unconsciously, in his playing.
Childhood is the ideal time to mold the soft, pliable
hands and fingers in the way they should grow. Why wait
until the bones become stiff and unmanageable, and the
poor little straightened fingers lapse into habits of sunken
joints, so hard to overcome? They then are indeed con¬
fronted with a task so difficnlt that there is no doubt of
table exercises being disliked. It is so much easier to learn
to play correctly from the start.
. If a child craves sweets and clamors for his dessert,
will the judicious parent heed his cry and give it to him
before the substantial muscle-building food is eaten;
If indulged, the child’s physical condition, in time,
would become undermined and he would stand im
favorable comparison with his sturdy, robust play¬
mates. The analogy between this and the poorly taught
pupil in contrast with the one carefully trained is obvi¬
ous. It was only last summer that an intelligent little
girl of eleven exclaimed in high glee: “Just think, my
teacher has given me a piece full of ovtaves, and I’ve
taken lessons only three months!” That child, possi¬
bly quite talented, may never rise -above mediocrity,
and will not likely realize the reason until, perhaps, ii
[ is too late.
tney an go way up iu u
wonderful view of the pai
river running through if
— to the roof to see t
kept busy. Suppose
and v
c hav
Duntry, i
a lot o
r eleva
te them
3 rs will
article v
thumb). Now,
up the passengers,
moderate flow of
seeing. This one
this elevator we <
When we cc— i -
pity, this o
slowly
Through*
concentrate on umu 6 me *
pencil under it and tell him
very, very hard, perhaps he
with the largest u ,.,. .
end carefully we can carry
it the exercise keep up a
is to what the guests are
nes t in a tree top; from
see the mountains in the distance.
' fourth finger—“Oh, is it not a
---high as the others.
Bobby will at once
’■ weekf if he tries
it high
est answer to the question at the beginning
could be to compare the little pupil who. hi:
_ of everything except note reading, plays wi
tened fingers, sunken joints, and fifth finger spread <
length of the key,, with the child who, when playing,
“ ' 'n miniature. The 1
, au mdst in miniature. The latter s ham
supple, his fingers rightly curved, and the
--ombination so thoroughly trained as
ana arm commune:
tonal effects which
re i. a fact tlu ‘
•e thoroui
„ _ [ilijycr could justly
nuu mi deeper one delves into a subject
•oughly one understands it. the keener i
•ived from its study. Hence. I feel sure
enjoyment ueriveu irom us si
were we to question the two
the more, there would be no ui
would claim the greater share.
A Practical Bill Head for Music Teachers
Cstljer C. JBeuScm
PIANO INSTRUCTION AND HARMONY
Pupil —
Lessons
13 14 15 16 V 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
GRADE FOR THE MONTH
CAN BE IMPROVED
Excellent
Time
Good
Fingering
Passing
Studies
Poor
Pieces
EFFORT
Harmony
Faithfulness to lesson appointments is positively required.
No exceptions can be made.
The music teacher's stationery, makes a decided impression upon patrons. It will pay any r
with the best by conferring with his publisher who usually hes a varied stock of such material
:o keep abreasl
SEPTEMBER 1921 . Page 563
THE ETUDE _ _ _
1
||||||^
Practical Ideas on Artistic Pedaling
WWm
r
if .. Hi! ; ::i i
By the Famous Virtuoso
1
i IIP I
JOSEF HOFMANN
-
( Editor’s Note : The following article is one of the chapters in “ Piano Playing With Piano *****
Josef Hofmann and is herewith produced for the benefit of Etude readers, by Passion Students who desire practical
material for Pedal Study will find excellent opportunities in the Pedal Book by ]. M. Blose.)
though audible, must die of their own weakness, and
while the strong, ruling chord was constantly disturbed
by the weaker ones it also re-established its supremacy
with the death of every weaker one which it outlasted.
This use of the pedal has its limitations in the evanescent
nature of the tone of the piano. That moment when the
blending of non-harmonic tones imperils the tonal beauty
of the piece in hand can be determined solely and ex¬
clusively by the player’s own ear, and here we are once
more at the point from which this article started,
namely: that the ear is governor, and that it alone can
decide whether or not there is to be any pedal.
It were absurd to assume that we can greatly please
the ear of others by our playing so long as our own ear
is not completely satisfied. We should, therefore, en¬
deavour to train the susceptibility of our ear, and we
should ever make it more difficult to gain the assent of
our own ear than to gain that of our auditors. They
may, apparently, not notice defects in your playing, but
at this juncture I wish to say a word of serious warning:
Do not confound unmindfulness with consent! To hear
ourselves play—that is, to listen to our own playing—
is the bed-rock basis of all music-making and also, of
course, of the technic of the pedal. Therefore, listen
carefully, attentively to the tones you produce. When
you employ the pedal as a prolongation of the fingers
(to sustain tones beyond the reach of the fingers), see
to it that you catch, and hold, the fundamental tone of
your chord, for this tone must be al.ways your chief
consideration.
Whether you use the pedal as a means of mere pro¬
longation or as a medium of colouring, under no cir-
'iotogra/’h by Byron
Incorrect Position of the Feet
To speak in a concrete manner of the pedal is possible
only on the basis of a complete understanding of the
fundamental principle underlying its use. The reader
must agree to the governing theory that, the organ
which governs the employment of the pedal is—the ear!
As the eye guides the fingers when we read music, so
must the ear be the guide—and the “sole” guide—of the
foot upon tthe pedal. The foot is merely the servant,
the executive agent, while the ear is the guide, the
judge and the final criterion. If there .is any phrase in
piano-playing where we should remember particularly
that music is for the ear it is in the treatment of the
pedal. Hence, whatever is said here in the following
lines with regard to the pedal must be understood as
resting upon the basis of this principle.
The General Rule
As a general rule I recommend pressing the lever or
treadle down with a quick, definite, full motion and
always immediately after—mark me, after—the striking
of the keys, never simultaneously with the stroke of the
fingers, as so many erroneously assume and do. To
prevent a cacophonous mixture of tones we should con¬
sider that we must stop the old tone before we can give
pedal to the new one, and that, in order to make the
stopping of the past tone perfect, we must allow the
damper to press upon the vibrating strings long enough
to do its work. If, however, we tread down exactly with
the finger-stroke we simply inhibit this stopping, because
the damper in question is lifted again before it has had
time to fall down. (In speaking of the dampers as
moving up and down I have in mind the action of the
“grand ” piano; in the upright piano the word “off”
must be substituted for "up,” and “on’’ for
“down.”) This rule will work in a vast majority of
cases, but like every rule—especially in art—it will be
found to admit of many exceptions.
Harmonic Clarity
Harmonic Clarity in Pedaling is the basis, but it is
only the basis; it is not all that constitutes an artistic
treatment of the pedal. In spite of what I have just
said above there are in many pieces moments where a
blending of tones seemingly foreign to one another, is a
means of characterization. This blending is especially
permissible when the passing (foreign) tones are more
than one octave removed from the lowest tone and from
the harmony built upon it. In this connection it should
be remembered that the pedal is not merely a means of
tone prolongation but also a means of coloring—and
pre-eminently that. What is generally understood by
the term piano-charm is to the greatest extent produced
by an artistic use of the pedal.
Accent Effects
For instance, great accent effects can be produced
by the gradual accumulating of tone-volume through the
pedal and its sudden release on the accented point. The
effect is somwhat like that which we hear in the orches¬
tra when a crescendo is supported by a roll of the drum
or tympani making the last tap on the accented point.
And, as I am mentioning the orchestra, I may illustrate
by the French horns another use of the pedal; where
the horns do not carry the melody (which they do
relatively seldom) they are employed to support sustained
harmonies, and their effect is like a glazing, a binding, a
unifying of various tone-colors of the other
instruments. Just such a glazing is produced
by the judicious use of the pedal, and when,
in the orchestra, the horns cease and the
strings proceed alone there ensues a certain
soberness of tone which we produce in the
piano by the release and the non-use of the
pedal. In the former instance, while the
horns were active they furnished the har¬
monic back-ground upon which the thematic
development of the music 1 1 picture pro¬
ceeded ; in the latter case, when the horns
cease the back-ground is taken away and
the thematic configurations stand out—so to
speak—against the sky. Hence, the pedal
gives to the piano tone that unifying, glazing,
that finish—though this is not exactly the
word here—which the horns or softly played
trombones give to the'orchestra.
Correct Position of the Feet on the Pedal
Mixing Harmonic Tones
But the pedal can do more than that. At
times we can produce strange, glasslike
effects by purposely mixing non-harmonic
tones. I only need to hint at some of the
fine, embroidery-like cadenzas in Chopin’s
works, like the one in his E-minor Concerto
(Andante, measures 101, 102, 103). Such
blendings are productive of a multitude of
effects, especially when we add the agency
of dynamic graduation: effects suggestive of
winds from Zephyr to Boreas, of the splash
and roar of waves, of fountain-play, of rust¬
ling leaves, etc. This mode of blending can
be extended also to entire harmonies in many
cases where one fundamental chord is to pre¬
dominate for some time while other chords
may pass in quicker succession while it lasts.
In such cases it is by no means imperative to
abandon the pedal; we need only to establish
various dynamic levels and place the ruling
harmony on a higher level than the passing
ones. In other words, the predominating
chord must receive so much force that it
canoutlast all those briefer ones which,
THE ETUDE
Page 56), . SEPTEMBER 1921
cumstances use it as-a cloak for imperfection of execu¬
tion For. like charity, it is apt to be made to cover a
multitude of sins; but, again like charity, who wants to
make himself dependent upon it, when honest work can
prevent it?
A Mistaken Use
Nor should the pedal be used to make up for the defici¬
ency of force. To produce a forte is the business of the
fingers (with or without the aid of the arm) but not ot
the pedal, and this holds true also-m«tatw mutandis-oi
the left pedal for which the Germans use the word (Ver-
schiebung) denoting something like “shifting. In a
“grand” piano the treading of the left pedal shifts the
hammers so far to one side that instead of striking
three strings they will strike only two. (In the pianos
of fifty and more years ago there were only two strings
to each tone, and when the hammers were shifted by the
treading of the left pedal they struck only one string.
From those days we have retained the term ‘urn corda
—one string.) In an upright piano the lessening ot tone-
volume is produced by a lessening of the momentum of
the hammer stroke.
Now as the right pedal should not be used to cover
a lack of force, so should the left pedal not be regarded
as a license to neglect the formation of a fine pianissimo
touch. It should not cloak or screen a defective pianissi¬
mo but should serve exclusively as a means of coloring
where the softness of tone is coupled with what the
jewellers call “dull finish.” For the left pedal does not
soften the tone without changing its character; it lessens
the quantity of tone but at the same time it also mark¬
edly affects the quality.
To Sum Up: Train your ear and then use both pedals
honestly! Use them for what they were made. Remem
ber that even screens are not used for hiding things behind
them, but for decorative purposes or for protection.
Those who do use them for hiding something must have
something which they prefer to hide!
Counting for a Star
By Ethel V. Moyer
The “Gold Star” plan is most useful for accomplish¬
ing many good results in the way of memorizing, scale
practice and working out special difficulties.
A mother recently told me that counting aloud was
the very most objectionable thing her little girl had to do.
At her next lesson I told her of the extreme import¬
ance of counting aloud; how it was necessary in order
that she might hear if she were getting her counts
even I said, “Now I am going to write count aloud in
big letters in your lesson book every week for a long
time If I do not have to remind you about it often i
shall give you one of my big gold stars each week until
you have learned to do it very well.”
The little girl may have worked for the gold star
more than for the good effect it had on her playing, but,
be that as it may, the results were very satisfactory.
Thumb on the Black Keys
By Frederic W. Burry
Among the little problems that come to the piano stu¬
dent is the right and proper time of putting the thumb
on the black keys. , , ,
In olden days it used to be taught that the thumb
should never be used on the black keys Surely this was
meant to be taken with a grain of salt, for there are
times when a facile execution is best accomplished by
^AUral^have'exceptions, and the general rule about
using the thumb on the black keys is to do so only when
necessary. A
“When does it become necessary? is aked.
Here again each one is required to use his own good
judgment.. As pianoforte technic develops, the thumb
becomes capable of special manipulation. It is strong
but its energy can be conserved. Thus it: may be utilized
for sforzando affect; or its touch may be light.
So as with other matters, beware of a too rigid regula¬
tion ’ The greater variety of fingering the better, with
an every-day standard for general purposes. With mod¬
ern music a certain ultra-technic is often demanded.
The limits of keyboard and strings are toed to the
utmost. New and newer effects are introduced; and just
as our piano is very different from the old-fashioned toy
with which the early masters had to content themselves,
so must we invent new means of handling it.
Meanwhile, the thumb must move with care. It must
not be reckless among the Black. Keys.
Music and the Student’s Health
By Charles W. Landon
Music study is often charged as a cause for t le
nervous breakdown of school girls. As a matter of fact,
late hours, a giddy social life and oyer-indulgence in no
nutritious and indigestible confectionary is more often
^ A reasonable amount of practice, under the S u j dance
a good teacher, is something of a recreation and a relief
from the routine of school work.. It appealsto'
different faculties of mind. It is more al ^ m
spiritual nature, is more esthetical, and appeals more t
the love of the beautiful.
Parents would do well to ponder these matters. The
summer is too short and too much filled with vacational
diversions to furnish an opportunity for an adequate
mastery of a subject of so much importance in the
modern scheme of education. Better a curtailing of
some of the social activities during the school year than
that their sons and daughters lose this valuable time for
the proper balance in their education. |
Those years known as “The High School Age are
the very ones in which character formation is the most
ac ive in “ung life. Music is one of the most valuable
S» fa to ,rffa»«t -d eni,h rf.
To wait till school is finished, is too late, l ew, ex
cepting those discovering that they have unusual voices,
"folk. »p .he study Of music
The child who loves music, brings it into play, and has
a mind of average maturity, should beginSessions a six
or seven years of age. Otherwise, it probably would be
better to wait till a little later. But let them begin
early so that their accomplishments may become a i art
of the home life to bring enjoyment into the days ot
those who have sacrificed in order that the advantage
may be theirs.
One Minute
My language is understood all over the world
Genius begins work; but it is industry which fin-
^Tffiffree arts and the beautiful science ofcomposi-
tion do not admit of any fetters of handicraft. Heart
and soul must be free. _ ,
To Mozart’s father :-“I declare to you, before God,
With Haydn . •.
and on the faith of an honest man that your son is the
greatest composer that ever lived.”
When I had caught an idea, my whole endeavor was
to work it out, to develop and sustain it according to
the rules of art. Thus I proceeded; and it is just this
procedure in which many of our modern composers
are deficient.
Wise Selection of Piano Teaching Material
By Joseph George Jacobson
lx is impossible to state that in this and that grade
certain studies and pieces should be practiced. For
many reasons, neither pieces nor studies can be classi¬
fied in such a manner. Some pupils possess an octave
technic far in advance of their finger-dexterity, and
vice versa. Then, too, many pieces have a few meas¬
ures which are more difficult by many grades than the
rest of the piece. For example, Rubinstein’s Romance
in E Flat could be played easily by a third or fourth
grade pupil if it were not for the triplet-figure m the
middle of the piece. Let us see what is best t° follow
from the time the aspirant to future fame takes his first
lesson until he appears on the public concert-platform.
At the very beginning it is wise to follow a modern
piano-method, as for example The New Beginners
Book The Sartorio Piano Method, etc. In connec¬
tion with this, play duets with the pupils in which the
teacher’s parts are more difficult than those of the
pupil, such as the Low Duets or the Sartorio Duets.
Don’t Skimp Scales
Do not rush the teaching of the scales too fast. T
met a young pupil recently who had skimmed through
all the major and minor scales during nine months of
study, sans raison et sans plaisir, with the result that
he knew nothing. Five or six major scales during the
first year will be ample. This Would include thumb
exercises, arpeggios, broken chords and. some wrist
exercises. It is wise to have the pupil write the scales
and wiser if the teacher has a deep and thorough
knowledge of the scales. If not quite sure I could
recomend no better book than Mastering the Scales and
Arpeggios.
Study Czerny
After the first rudiments of piano-playing have been
mastered the future piano-technic can be summed up
in these two words: CZERNY and CHOPIN. Czerny’s
technical exercises make a foundation for almost the
whole piano-literature, including even Rubinstein and
Li.zt. All others—just to mention a few—Dussek,
Kohler, Bertini, Diabelli, Herz, Moscheles, and even
dementi with his much-overrated Gradus ad Parnassum
_ are more or less weak imitators of the Czemv-tech-
nic. Such works, with the exception of Cramer’s
Selected Studies, edited by von Billow, can be safely
placed on the shelf and left there. Study Czerny—of
course not everything he has written. His last Opus
number was 848! The only thing that saved us from
more, and the only reason he laid aside his indefatig¬
able pen, was that he expired in the midst of his labors.
His industry was truly astounding. It is said that he
could write on three or four compositions at the same'
time, not wishing to lose time by waiting for the sheets
to dry. If you are not able to make your own judicious
selections use the three volumes of Czerny-Liebling. in
vhich. the famous Liszt pupil, Emil Liebling, selected
the best studies from those of Liszt’s teacher, Czerm
Do not assign one study until the previous one lias
been well mastered. Aim for more quality than quan¬
tity. The use of the metronome is advisable. You will
find the metronome-markings in Czerny, however, usu¬
ally too fast. When the pupil has mastered these three
volumes of remarkably varied studies he has already
solved technical problems of advanced and complicated
character in true virtuoso style. Then, study the Toc¬
cata, Opus 92, dealing with thirds and sixths, which is
of much more importance than Clement’s B Plat Major
Toccata. After this by all means study hard and assidu¬
ously Czerny’s Opus 337, the forty daily exercises.
These will lead you ahead, slowly and surely, to the
summit. After this, to crown the height, Brahms Liszt
and Rubinstein. Of course it is necessary to play
octave-studies, as for example Low and Kullak Studies
and many others. If you are one of those, win think
that there is no melody in Bach, which reminds me of
the man who could not see the forest because there
were too many trees, practice him for technical pur¬
poses.
What to study of Chopin ? Everything! When you
have the privilege of studying the twenty-four studies
go to this task with reverence, for you are practising
tone-pcems of exquisite beauty which not alone are of
extreme technical value through their novel extensions
and poly-rhythmical innovations, but which will develop
the artistic musical soul if you possess such a thing.
Remember a genius wrote them, and Schumann said of
the composer, “Gentleman, hats off 1—a genius 1” You
can never play Chopin well enough, nor make perfectly
eloquent the unsurpassed lyric character of the melodie
spirit of this great composer.
What after Chopin? I think Chopin-Godowsky.
Whatever is being said for or against the musical value
of these undoubtedly clever arrangements, it is sure
that they will help technic in a wonderful manner.
They seem to be a necessity for the modern pianist,
though many make light of them because they cannot
play them. They are true Chopin. His spirit is there.
You will lose no time by studying them.
Isidor Philipp has published splendid technical ma¬
terial. His latest work, Finger Gymnastics. Op- 60,
is extremely clever. If you find time to practice twenty-
five hours a day and play through all these you win
acquire a great technic or die in the attempt! Trie
secret of it all is that many seem to lie able to con¬
centrate the value of twenty-five hours’ practice into two
or three. That perhaps is the planistic genius that con¬
quers all obstacles.
tiie etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 565
The Piano Teacher and His Success
By CONSTANTIN VON STERNBERG
Every lawyer, clergyman and physician, in fact every
man or woman of any profession whatever, discovers
sooner or later that the notions held by the general public
with regard to the ethics of his or her profession are
funny, often painfully funny. With only too few ex¬
ceptions, the laity does not in the least differentiate be¬
tween the professions and commerce. Accustomed to be
served in a store with whatever they choose to ask,
whether it be good for them or not (so long as it is
within the law), they seem to expect a similar mercantile
complaisance from professional people, never so much as
suspecting that a professional person has not devoted
years of study and preparation merely to give his patrons
what they ask for, but rather to give them what they
”*a’ lawyer listens to the story of his client and finds
that the right of the case is all on the other side. As an
honest man (and there are such among that much abused
profession) he advises his client to abstain from a law¬
suit, to compromise; and for this advice he charges a
fee, as is right and proper, though he did not go to court.
Yet there are people who object to this fee because “he
didn’t do nothin’.” That his honest and well-weighed
advice saves them the useless expense of an unsuccessful
litigation and prevents them from possibly damaging
their good names—that, they forget.
What must a clergyman suffer when a committee of
elders or deacons waits upon him with the notion that
his calling begins and ends in the pulpit, and that, when
there, he should preach about the biblical text and abstain
from discussing questions of every-day life or public
welfare; just as if religion were only for the church
and the church only for religion.
Still more numerous are those who think that a
physician studies to cure all diseases, when in reality he
can only learn to know and recognise their nature and
to cure them only if they are curable (provided the
patient obeys his orders), while in incurable cases he is
satisfied to afford relief from acute suffering. Artist
painters, sculptors and architects stand in holy dread of
the man who says: “I don’t know the first thmg about
Art, but I know what I like!” “So does my dog,’ was
the reply of my friend to one of that, alas ubiquitous
Now, musicians suffer perhaps less on this score than
the followers of any other profession; but we must re¬
flect that the queer notions we have to combat, if a trifle
less preposterous, are surely larger in number. Volumes
could be filled with their recital. And among musical
instructors there is none whose sufferings under these
notions equals that of the piano teacher.
People say, “If the vocal teacher can make my daugh¬
ter sing, and the violin teacher can make her play the
violin, why can’t the piano teacher make her play the
piano?” It never enters their- minds that the vocal
teacher will not teach her unless she has a _voice; that the
violin teacher expects a certain something which tor
want of a better term has been called “string-sense.
But the piano teacher is not expected to attach any con¬
ditions to the promise of success. “Here is the girl,
now make her play.”
The reason for this injustice lies in the circumstance
that it is next to impossible to teach the piano without
instructing the pupil at the same time in music; I mean
music, not so much in a theoretical as rather in an
esthetic sense. I am sure that my brothers and sisters
of the voice and the strings will have the good grace to
admit that in their branches of instruction this impos¬
sibility is not nearly as absolute. On the piano the use
of the pedal alone requires the development of a faculty
in the pupil with which they have no concern at all; it
is connected with the perception of purity ot clarity of
harmony, as distinct from purity of mere pitch.
As a matter of usage the very word music teacher has
acquired the meaning of piano teacher; and, if this usage
has originated with the untutored, their instinct has led
them quite rightly. For, of all musical instructors, the
piano teacher has by far the best apparatus for convey¬
ing a general and esthetic knowledge of music. The
nature of the instrument, giving room for melody, bass
and middle voices simultaneously, assists him. The nota¬
tion, on two (and sometimes even three) staffs, trains
the’pupil’s eye to encompass not mere successions of
notes but also their concurrence and relation to each
other • to read not horizontally only, but also vertically.
The pupil must learn early to distinguish between es¬
sentials and auxiliaries. The literature of the piano,
more than that of any other instrument, trains him early
in the appreciation of polyphonic music. (The ergan
might have been excepted, but it is too closely related to
the piano and, besides, too limited in its emotional scope,
or should be so in compliance with the spirit and decorum
of its customary place.) What is more, the piano can be
an effective agent in making people musical in the sense
of making them understand what they hear played or
sung, and it can do this at a comparatively early stage of
StUdy " The Ethics of the Piano Teacher
All this being so, however, must needs produce a slight
difference between the ethics of the piano teacher and ot
other musical instructors. The vocal teacher has little
difficulty in deciding: “Voice—lessons; no voice—no
lessons 1” But the piano teacher, with every new pupil
that comes to him, is confronted by a whole array ot
problems. , , ,
What sort of pupil might this newcomer be? What
sort of folk are his parents? What do they expect.
Do they purpose a half dozen well drilled show pieces,
and that’s all? Do they wish their child to become mu¬
sical in a general sense and leave it to the teacher to find
out whether it is to become pre-eminently a player, or a
fine connoisseur, appreciator, absorber of good music
(by far the more enviable of the two) or a so-called
social “utility,” a good reader who can help out occa¬
sionally with an accomnaniment or in a duet, or whether
it should turn out to become—heaven help us—a com-
Perplexing questions, to be sure, but the piano teacher
gets soon enough accustomed to facing them. There is
one problem, however, which with every recurrence re¬
news the uncertainty of his own conscience. He asks
himself, “Shall I tell these parents that their expectation
of a half dozen show pieces is shoddy, vulgar? Shall I
tell them that their boy’s base-ball hardened hands (not
to mention the thickness of the calloused fingers) hardly
promise a fine executant? Shall I, by telling them so,
deprive the boy of the delights and the fine, influence
which the appreciation of good music will bring to his
mind and heart? Shall I at once disillusionize them
let them go to another teacher—which that type ot
people are certain to do—and to a possibly less con¬
scientious one or to a charlatan, who will, promise any
old thing and take their money without giving them any
return?”
Perplexing Questions Solved
Of course the piano teacher needs time to solve, this
complex problem of conscience. He must get acquainted
with his pupil; must, through him judge, the parents and
the nature of their influence upon the child; must gradu¬
ally find out the direction of the pupil’s natural bent and
all that. But, alas, he is expected to attach no conditions
to his promises and to make them after a half hour , of
examination. Sometimes the parents do not even bring
the child with them, but expect the piano teacher to judge
in absentia, or from a written list of pieces or studies
which the dear child has played “real nice.” ^ As one. good
lady put it: “Don’t I know my own child?” But it evi¬
dently never occurred to her that the familiarity with
her child did not make her a judge of the dear child s
piano playing. . .
Now, these aforesaid problems are not fictitious.
Every honest piano teacher knows them and most of us
have probably, while grappling with them, resorted to
what the sailors call “tacking.” We have reached for
a happy medium which gave the best satisfaciton all
around; which should soon teach the child that its par¬
ents are well meaning but in error, and by which it still
could please them, while possibly, in an indirect way, it
cotlld also educate them to understand or like a better
class of music and to take a higher view of the purpose
of its study.
I think that in the solution of this conscience problem
lies his success. Taking his professional knowledge for
granted, the aforesaid problems are a test of his tact.
The actual knowledge among piano teachers is, thanks
to schools, conservatories and academies, pretty nearly
alike. At best the differences cannot amount to much. But
what we do with the knowledge, how we use, how we
apply, what we observe through it or what we fail to
notice, that is here we differ. As to the actual informa¬
tion or knowledge, it is with music very much as with
medicine. If a new remedy for, or a new treatment of,
a certain disease is discovered to-day, though it be in
Melbourne or Petrograd, it is known to every decent
physician in the world by to-morrow. But tr.r diagnosis,
ah yes, the diagnosis—that is the point! It is in the
power of diagnosing where physicians differ mainly from
each other, and that power or quality is still open to
debate as to whether, in its highest degree, it can be
acquired by learning, or whether it is a specific gift of
nature to the mind, a matter of intuition as it were. At
any rate it discloses the tact of the medical mind. Tact
governing knowledge.
Just so it is the tact of the piano teacher’s musical
mind which, after receiving certain impressions from the
new applicant, must analyze, assort, sift them and finally
determine upon that course or attitude towards the
parents by which he can do he most good to their child.
Brilliant Players
The public is perhaps excusable for considering that
particular teacher of their city to be the best one who
can show the largest percentage of brilliant players
a mnn g his pupils. In many cases he is the best, but by
far not in all cases, for very, often he. is only a good
mechanical drillmaster, possessing a rudimentary knowl¬
edge of music and developing his trusting pupils into
nothing better than shallow, egotistical., parrotlike re¬
peaters of a number of pieces—living pianolas—without
enab ling- them to study anything by themselves. Men
like the late Leschetizky cannot come under this cate¬
gory; they are differentdy situated. To them comes only
that type of pupils who are bent upon playing and noth¬
ing else, and who are mostly, if not pretty good players,
at any rate pretty well grounded musicians before they
come to him. As to the regular run of music (piano)
teachers, their value to their musical community lies not
in producing the largest number, but the most musicianly
players, whether they play easy or difficult pieces. The
musical influence is what constitutes the music teacher’s
value, an influence to which the limits of his city are no
barriers, but which may extend to the whole county, the
State, country or the whole world.
It will be difficult to find any single criterion by which
to determine a piano teacher’s success; but it can be
done by putting several tests together, and two. such
measurings which have been stated in former discus¬
sions of kindred subjects are recalled, viz.;
A teacher’s success is disclosed by what his
pupils can learn or study by themselves when
they leave him after a reasonable time, and
by the percentage of his pupils who, while
studying with him, attend good concerts.
By staying away from good concerts they passively
oppose and harm the cause of good music. By attending
them, in a body they help to encourage the visits of good
artists in their city. This elevates the standard of ap¬
preciation in the community, stimulate the interest in
good music, and hence serves the cause of good music,
not to mention that it provides a much needed mus'eal
THE ETUDE
Page 566 SEPTEMBER 1921
nourishment for their own teacher, who cannot keep on
giving out musical thought year after year without ever
taking any in. This criterion is therefore, while not in¬
fallible, a fairly certain one, because it proves first ot
all that, however much his pupils may be engrossed m
their own little selves, he taught them to love music
Starting the Fire
By Edward Ellsworth Hipsher
Enthusiasm is the fire that warms the student to his
work. Enthusiasm is the motive power that leads him
on to mastery of it. The ability to inspire and develop
this in the pupil is the open gate to success for the am¬
bitious teacher. .,
Enthusiam in the young arises whenever they feel that
the thing to be done is one really worth the while; that
out of it they are to derive a definite gratification; in
fact, when the accomplishing of the thing creates in
itself a pleasurable sensation. Establishing such a con-
dition and maintaining it is the happy privilege of the
teacher. Happy, because no work ever will evolve more
lasting or more precious results than that which brings
uplifting enjoyment into the lives of others.
To do this, the very first thing necessary to the teacher
is that he have within himself unbounded enthusiasm tor
his work. He must love it so much that his efforts spent
towards achieving success are the greatest joys of his
life. To study late into the night must mean nothing
less than a delight in the satisfaction of mastering the
thing that will make it possible to do his work better.
Till his soul glows with the fervor of this ambition, he
is not ready for his labor. . .
Sympathy and satisfaction with .the buoyant spirit ot
youth there must be. Years will come; but youth must
not decay in the soul of the teacher. Many applicants
will be scarcely students as yet. To make them such is
the reason for the teacher. It is that which has brought
them. Will you enter so into their lives and ideals that
they will feel that they can come expecting a sympathetic
response? Ah, yes, you say, the teacher is there to
form ideals, not to have ideals thrust upon him. All
very true. And it is just as true that she must be led.
And—right softly—the leading is just a little more neces¬
sary when the pupil happens to be a he. The measure of ,
your doing so limits success or failure.
Is there under your left ribs a little of that spirit that
heartens youth and bids dull care away ? Can you for the
time forget that you are necessarily a “high profession¬
al?” Can you not take hold of that exuberance that will
enable you to get down (or up) to the spirit of youth and
prance with them through their early life? Then, can
you carry this into the studio and allow it to permeate
the lesson periods so that they become seasons of really
intimate, quickening communion between yourself and the
pupil? , . . , .
No, the teacher is in no danger of losing the respect
of the pupil. Not if. of the right sort. Is your quality
of mind and training so inferior that you have to hide
behind a flimsy curtain of assumed superiority ? Is there
not a deeper ring to your life than that? Did ever you
meet closely one of the really great, one who stands out
in the world because of genuine wealth of character,
intellect and heart? Then the chances are that you came
into contact with one of the simplest natures of all your
experience. No airs there. Just the simplicity of sin¬
cerity in a noble purpose. . n .
To plead the necessity of “making an impression is
to acknowledge modiocrity. Forget the airs! They be¬
come really amusing to the knowing ones, when you are
thrown in contrast with the truly superior nature. Get
into the spirit of real enjoyment of your work. Enrich
your own nature till those who come in contact with you
feel that it is good to be there. Do not waste your
precious time in worrying about whether they are to be
sufficiently subdued to an attitude of respect. Better
worry as to whether you are worthy of it! Genuine
merit so seldom fails of recognition that your chances
of neglect from this cause are inconsiderable.
Forget about self. Become so interested in the ad¬
vancement of the scholar that he feels it. Yes, you
need not tell him “how very much you are interested in
his success.” He had that sized up long before you
thought of telling him. He knew how genuine was
your interest. How sagacious is his intuition ! You could
not hide this from him, how hard so-ever you might try.
It would be “sticking out” so plainly that the blind pupil
would bump into it. And this, as surely, will react upon
his studies. Yes, enthusiasm, let it once get into the
teacher’s system, is contagious as the mumps. If the
most of your pupils have not a well developed case of it,
go look yourself over for symptoms. You may need a
good, wholesome inoculation.
The Essence of Musical Memorizing
By William and Carrie Eylau
(Editor’s NoT E :-The following article is by two well-
known pedagogical experts, who for many years made a
specialty of teaching the philosophy of music study. In
their work The Profession of Music Teaching from
which the following is taken, they have introduced ideas
which have been enthusiastically endorsed by leading
European critics. The translation is by Miss Florence
Ellenwood Allen.)
Memorizing is now universally regarded as a part of
the technical mastery of a piece. We leave undiscussed
the question as to whether it is absolutely necessary to
mar so many concert-performances up to about fifty
percent of their value, by forsaking our notes. We have
to do with the fact that, from the outlook of today,
playing, from memory is to be recommended in public
appearance. The fact is that every piece over which we
really have technical mastery is so thoroughly controlled,
mentally and physically, that the use of notes during
public performance would have only a quieting influence,
and thus might often save a whole career.
Many think learning by heart to be an insuperable
difficulty. Music-students hold mournful assemblages
with one another, or importune their colleagues, sup¬
posed to have “good memories,” to tell them “how they
got it;” and most of them learn that the people with
good memories don’t themselves know how they “got
.Where are our musical memories situated? “In the
head, naturally.”
If I want to learn a language, for example, what are
the means which lead to the memory? “Eye and ear.
Why the ear? “Because it grasps and holds the
single sounds as well as the rise and fall of the construc¬
tion of sentences.” . .
What task, then, has the ear before it when it is a ques¬
tion of real music? “To grasp and hold the tones, the
tone-groups, the tone-colors, and the rhythm.
What has the eye to do with the learning of a lan¬
guage? “It stamps on our mind the image of the single
Can I not make a musical application of this power?
“Yes, as far as the eye gives us a pictorial image of the
chord or run which the ear hears, and does it in just the
same way as it draws the picture of a word in our
memories.”
Have we not developed still another sense which builds
a bridge to the musical memory? “Perhaps the key-
board-sense ?”
Not perhaps, but certainly! In what have we espe¬
cially developed it? “In study of common technic, in
study of the character of tone, and in all the special
difficulties of compositions.”
How have we trained the keyboard-sense? By
impressing upon it all difficulties as unit-movements; by
proceeding from the foundation of the difficulty, with
application of all the pertaining exercise-material; and
by gradually reconstructing the difficulties to such a
degree, that the keyboard-sense finally reacted uncon¬
sciously and felt the difficulty mastered as a whole.”
But how did we educate our ear? “By storing it
with the related phrases and especially the transitions,
in their sound and content also as unit-movements, and
this both through vocal experiment and through com-
parison.” , , ' ,
Thus we see that three senses are to help us, two ot
which, the ear and the keyboard-sense, are already
trained to the finest degree. In people with “good mem¬
ories” these three divisions of the musical memory are
trained by instinct; therefore they can give no account
of them. Their teachers have failed to make their talent
their possession. But the people for whom playing by
heart is a book with seven seals prove that they not only
do not possess this instinct, but that they also have not
substituted for it perception and development of the
will- and nerve-apparatus. Their technical study can only
have been empty thrashing of notes; they can have no
conception of proper analysis and reconstruction; for
otherwise “something” must have remained in their
"development of playing by heart comes of itself
with proper study. First my fingers comprehend the
units of the special difficulties. The road to this goal is
not found in the notes, I am compelled by myself from
within to see and hear the necessary preparatory exer-
d es They must be played by heart, their elaborations
of course as well, until finally the whole passage has been
mastered by the memory. Then to test whether it has
really been transferred into my keyboard-sense, 1 must
practice it in connection with its introductory measures,
and in transitions, I must link on the two mclosuig
phrases. The study of the effects with aid of the eai
also necessitates innumerable repetitions of this whole
passage, which has already been stamped upon the mem¬
ory by the keyboard-sense. Still more easily than the
passages is the character of the themes impressed upon
the ear which is inoculated with the keyboard-sense by
study of the tone-color. .
Where these natural aids do not in all instances
suffice, as for example in parallel passages with different
harmonization, perhaps figured basses written out by the
pupil for himself will help to fill out these gaps, and m
giving at the same time to eye and ear the best musical
When we have made the themes and the difficult
passages our own, each with its introductions and con¬
tinuations, not so very much of the piece will be left. At
any rate, the mastery of what remains and the connection
of the whole can not cause trouble, and therewith the
problem is solved of itself by following a method which
appeals to the intelligence of the pupil.
“That’s all very well,” someone says, perhaps, but
that doesn’t guarantee my not breaking down in public.
Nothing will guarantee that. It is a matter of practice,
surety and to a great degree, self-consciousness-hut
even these are not infallible. The following means may
perhaps assist, however, in testing the infallibility firstly
of the keyboard-sense:
Imagine you are appea-ing at this very moment upon
the platform. Take your position before an audience as
you would under such circumstances and play your solo
through without stopping. Slips will come too easily,
often in the simplest places. Naturally—for the easy
passages have been less practiced in the difficult special
training of hand and ear. Playing under these unaccus¬
tomed conditions will at once bring the nerves, not
wholly under control, out of the train of action. For the
concert-stage, however, one must learn not to let dis¬
turbing influence act upon one’s self.
The use of the metronome has a similar effect. Nat¬
urally it can only be employed in passages the direction
of which falls not to me, but to the leader of the
orchestra. The metronome is splendid in this way, how¬
ever, namely that it forces us to observe the rhythm
not as subjectively felt, but as objectively assigned.
Then there are two other supplementary means. One
of them is to play over the pieces in the mind. Where
in the mind’s picture we do not see the fingers come
down clearly, wherever in this illusory playing they fail
to work fast enough, at that spot there is an uncer¬
tainty. This whole process is helped along by the eye,
which we can assist by writing down those passages
whose rendering fails. That is a method very service¬
able for Bach especially; it takes a great deal of time, but
is eminently worth the trouble.
As to the manner in which the eye, through reading
of those invisible notes, in a way supports the keyboard-
sense in the real performance; as to how the ear during
the performance of a familiar group of notes, uncon¬
sciously hurries ahead to the preparation of the next
group; how eye, ear and hand supplement each other—
these things each one must learn to observe for himself,
and with nerves rightly trained beforehand he will be
able easily to do so.
The Parting Word
By Ada Mae Hoffrek
Unless the lesson has been altogether bad—and there
are very few lessons that are altogether that—the alert
teacher will find it an excellent idea to be sure to give
the pupil a word of encouragement just before bidding
the pupils goodbye. As you are_giving the lesson remem¬
ber what pleased you most and epitomize that in a little
paragraph. In other words, send the pupil off with a
pleasant thought, a constructive thought, a stimulating
thought, instead of with a criticism of some little details.
At the same time the pupil should know when he is not
making progress. It should not be camouflaged wit
compliments or evasions of the real truth. But the very
last words—let them point to the pupil’s real accom¬
plishment and send him away pleased.
the etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 567
t ' r rs
; ^ -j.Uv.Slsl. X S Sift. S „ ^_» " * ^
Getting Real Happiness From Your Music
Psychology and the Young Musician
By DANIEL GREGORY MASON
Associate Professor of Music, Columbia University, N. Y.
V-
[Editor’s Note: Daniel Gregory Mason is a nephew
of Dr. William Mason, the author of many successful
books and a composer of music which has received dis-
iinguished consideration. He is a pupil of Ncvin, Chad-
wick, Goetschius and Vincent D’lndy.
Prof. Mason’s article is based largely upon the prin¬
ciple discovered by the great psychologist, Ignas Freud,
of Vienna. Dr. Freud employed a method of searching
into the past of his patients by means of a scientific
analysis of their dreams. In this way he has been able
to record mental disturbances brought about by exagge¬
rated emotions and unusual impressions and repressions
in the past which have resulted in diseases which could
not be explained in any other way.
By reasoning with the patient and removing the
thought which, lodged in the unconscious mind, has been
causing all the damage, the practitioners of the Freudian
Psychoanalysis have been able to do work which savors
of the miraculous. One instance brought to the editor’s
attention was of a college graduate who became a raving
maniac. The identity of the mental disturbance which
had caused the trouble was located in the harsh measures
used in his youth to prevent him doing something that
he greatly desired to accomplish. This was removed and
a complete cure was effected.
The whole world is now discussing the possibilities of
this wonderful discovery and, naturally, quacks ivithout
number have begun to impose upon the public through
it. It is something which only the highly trained scien¬
tist should be permitted to practice. Prof. Mason en¬
deavors to remove from the minds of Etude readers a
thought which may permit them to find much higher and
wider happiness in their art.]
Modern psychology, and in particular the method of
psycho-analysis introduced by Dr. Sigmund Freud, of
Vienna, has made it possible for us to recognize, more
clearly than ever before, certain dangers that menace
all young artists, dangers the harder to recognize because
they are in considerable measure subjective. In addition
to a technic subtle enough to analyze them, psycho¬
analysis has given us certain general conceptions of how
they hide themselves by a sort of mental camouflage,
from which we must drag them forth if we would con¬
quer them. By showing us how, of two paths open to us,
we tend to take the easier rather than the better one,
and then by what it calls “rationalization” to give our¬
selves high-sounding reasons for our laziness, it has made
more possible to us a conscious choice of the better way.
It is not too much to say that an intelligent comprehen¬
sion of the actual working of our impulses, and of the
camouflages given them by our self-esteem, such as
might be gained by reading a few standard books on
psycho-analysis*, would save almost every young musi¬
cian a good many false steps, and, by concentrating his
efforts where they would best tell, would materially im¬
prove his .work.
, “Will to Power”
Every human being discovers psycho-analysis neces¬
sarily and legitimately craves some kind of power. Each
one of us feels that he must somehow effectuate himself,
make himself count, work upon the world so that in some
way it will be different from what it would be had he
never existed. This “will - to power” psycho-analysis
frankly recognizes as a fundamental fact a dumb push or
urge in each individual mind, deeper than intelligence,
deeper than consciousness, irrational, immoral and in¬
eradicable. This it is which expresses itself in every act
that strives to impose the will of the individual upon the
world, from the struggle of a Napoleon to dominate
Europe down to the effort of a shop girl to make heir
stature more noticeable by wearing French heels.
Psycho-analysis wastes no time scolding at this will to
power, as some of the older moralisms used tc do. Ac¬
cepting it as fundamental, it proceeds to examine and
chart down the main channels of its expression. It has,
as Bertrand Russell shows clearly, two such main chan¬
nels of instinct through which to work: the creative in¬
stinct, seeking power through self-directed activity,
through the ability to “shape things nearer to the heart’s
desire”; and the possessive instinct, seeking it through
the accumulation of goods, and the economic domination
they give over others. A type of man in whom the cre¬
ative instinct is strongly preponderant would be Mozart
in his later life, in abject poverty, but so wrapped iri
musical thought that he often forgot to be cold and hun¬
gry. A type in whom the possessive'instinct is strongly
in the ascendant is the miser-millionaire, so intent in the
passive pleasures of his coffers and his bank-books and
the evidence they give of his power over the lives of
others that he almost forgets how pitifully empty is his
own life. But these cases are hardly normal. In every
•An untechnieal statement of the general theory is T)r.
Wilfrid Lay s Man’s Unconscious Conflict. Its bearings on
conduct are studied in Edwin G. Holt’s The Freudian Wish.
In Why Men Fight, hy Bertrand Russell, the relation of
instincts and institutions is inBpiringly discussed.
normal human being there is some of each instinct, and
the only questions to ask are, “In what proportion are
they mixed?” and perhaps, “What proportion is most
likely to bring happiness and success?”
In its answer to the latter question, psycho-analysis
has its first surprise in store for us. The usually ac¬
cepted view is that possession is of supreme importance
and creation of hardly any at all. Especially with us in
America “success” is almost synonymous with the accu¬
mulation of money. Our materialistic view of even the
most intangible spiritual values is grotesquely summed up
in the advertising tag, “Happiness in a Box.” Few of
us would willingly change places with Mozart, so in¬
tensely active mentally that he had no thought for bodily
discomfort; few would shrink from the desolating empti¬
ness, when truly seeir, of the miser-millionaire, preoccu¬
pied with passive pleasures. Yet psycho-analysis quietly
reverses the popular judgment. Permanent happiness
and genuine success, it says, come only to him in whom
the creative instincts preponderate; since they alone de¬
velop actively the individuality to which possessions can
give only passive pleasures and which they often begin
hy sheltering and protecting only at last to imprison
and starve. Who is right here, psycho-analysis or the
man in the street? Which is the true answer to this
question of emphasis, of such supreme importance to the
Daniel Gregory Mason
right ordering of the life of every young artist? Is it the
one the herd is forever bawling in his ear, or the one
that in rare moments he can just discern being whis¬
pered to him by the “still small voice” of his intuition,
and that modern psychology is now beginning to cor¬
roborate?
In nothing, for instance, is the herd more unanimous
than in insisting that a young man choosing a profes¬
sion should always choose one that “pays.” Let US
imagine the case of a violinist, say, hesitating between
entering the orchestra of a “movie” house and joining a
new and obscure string quartet as second violin. Can
you not hear the plausible argument of the herd? “If
"you . go into the movies you will have a good, regular
salary which will enable you to buy yourself comforts,
and even luxuries. Who knows, you may even have your
own motor-car before you get through, and ride to re¬
hearsals! And you will be part of a recognized indus¬
try and considered a man of importance.
“In the quartet you would get wretched pay, because
there is little or nrt regular demand for such highbrow
stuff. You would work like a dog and get nothing to
show for it. Why. you would not even he first violin,
hut only second! It is your duty to yourself, to your
parents, to your possible future wife and children, to
take the respectable and promising position offered you.”
To all of which the millions of young men to whom the
Herd has spoken in this fatherly manner, patting them
on the back the while, have little more to answer than
that they have a sort of feeling (“A sort of feeling!”
sneers Herd, “as against a very flattering and advanta¬
geous offer.”) that they should prefer playing second vi¬
olin in quartets of real beauty (“Beauty versus Bread?”
mutters Herd) at ten dollars a week, to grinding out
rag-time for a hundred (“Rag-time!” indignantly an¬
swers Herd. “You needn’t talk of it so patronizingly.
It is loved by thousands who will have none of your
classical quartets.”)
Where Psychology Helps
All this leaves the student rather defenseless until mod¬
ern psychology comes to his aid. It points out with the
unanswerable dispassionateness of science that you give
a man little satisfaction when you gratify his desires at
the cost of starving his impulses. “What good will his
motor-car do this young man,” it asks, “if he is so jaded
by monotonous, uncongenial drudgery that he takes no
joy in life? What satisfaction will Social prestige give
him in the midst of his personal boredom? Better for
him to breakfast on bread and water, walk to inconspicu¬
ous but delightful work with an elastic step and a
brightening eye at the thought of renewing the activity
which is his unfailing joy. Heap his possessions to the
skies, bruit his fame to the four quarters of the globe,
and unless he enjoys his job it is all dust and ashes to
him. But keep his creative instinct fruitfully employed
and he will be happy in poverty and obscurity.” ‘‘Each
man’s necessary path,” says Thoreau, “though as obscure
and uneventful as that of a beetle in the grass, is the way
to the deepest joys he is susceptible of. Though he con¬
verses only with moles and fungi, and disgraces his rela¬
tives, it is no matter, if he knows what is steel to his
flint.”
Page 568 SEPTEMBER 1921
Psycho-analysis is thus a powerful ally to the young
student by adding its scientific testimotty to the instgh
of seers like Thoreau, against the worldly fallacy that
life is justified by its products rather than in its proc¬
esses. But if it succeed in saving him from such
wide-spread fallacies and the external pressure to lower
his aims that they bring to bear upon him, it has sffll
to save him from a more insidious enemy, his own
sloth and its “rationalizations.” The exercise of the
creative instinct is peculiarly laborious, ^renuous and
exacting. It has to meet and conquer difficult es in
destribably more subtle than the material obstacles en
countered by possessiveness. Hence a man w o
chosen a way of life that exercises his creativeness is
under a constant temptation, usually unsuspected by
hipiself, to abandon or at least abate it, and to seek *e
relief of an easier existence; and his devil is constantly
whispering in his ear many edifying reasons for such
change—“rationalizations” such as psycho-analysis c
detect, but usually not the untrained conscience.
Discipline Needed
For example, let us suppose the case of a young com-
ooser of good gifts not yet thoroughly developed The
process of discipline to which he must sub]ect * e ™ ™
order to attain the highest creativeness of which he is
capable, will be long and arduous, lasting through years
when he will be getting little tangible reward ini either
money or reputation. All this time he knows that
he would but sacrifice this discipline wluch nothmg but
his intangible inner creativeness exacts, if he would
consent to write not his own thoughts and feelings but
those oft-repeated, pleasantly familiar commonplaces
that “the public wants,” his compositions would begin
to sell and his name to be known, he would begin to
receive royalties and a kind of renown. In short his
possessive" instinct would be taken off. the s arvatmn
rations on which he has been keeping it in order to feed
his creativeness.
And now note the last and innermost enemy that
agsails him, subtlest of all, the “rationalization” of the
psycho-analyst. He begins to call his temptabons lw
high-sounding names, in the ^conscious effort to pal¬
liate his surrender to them. The Herd becomes Hu
manity,” and his traffic with it becomes listening to the
Vox Populi which is also Vox Dei. His f . or “ er ^'
votion to an ideal of beauty was sinful pride . the
eccentricity into which the untrained mind inevitably
falls is now canonized as “originality” (most origi¬
nality” that is much insisted upon is of that kind) and
the lack of discipline, lost through a failure of per¬
sistence, is dubbed “independence.”
Thus do names begin to exert their immeasurable in¬
fluence, and the student’s own sloth becomes a con¬
spirator with the backwardness of the public to seduce
him from following the only path in which he could
ever find true originality and independence, the origi¬
nality that dares to create and the independence that will
not be misled into mere possession. Nothing but a
candor that is above cozening itself, and a courage to
match it, will save him now; but psycho-analysis may
help to make the issue clear and thus to focus his ener¬
gies where they are needed. The reward for such a
supreme effort of insight and honest self-analysis will
be great—nothing less than the preservation of the fine
flower of happiness.
Holding the Young Child’s Interest
By Marcella Francisca Nachman
How very much the child of six to eight years needs
something to give interest to practice. To him scales
are so dull and finger exercises so monotonous. The
child cannot see what these have to do with the playing
of a piece; and so keeping these young students at prac¬
tice becomes a bore if not a burden.
A clever little device that interests the child pupil is
to name the various scales and exercises according to
the way they are played. For instance, if the Scale of C
is to be played very slowly call it “Sleepy Head.” When
it is to be played fast call it “The Wide-Awake Boy.”
A lively march-like exercise may be The Passing Pa¬
rade. A study in three-four time may be Little Bear
Waltz. If you can learn what is one of the pets of the
child name a piece for it, as, Fido’s Dance, or, for a
lively study, it may be Little Duck’s Chase. All this
will make the pupil feel that it is learning something
more than a mere exercise,
Which is the More Difficult?
By Hazel Victoria. .Goodwin
The belief is common that it is more difficult to 'eam
and inversely with volume in rapid playing.
In attempting to account for this, one must consider
iu» i. L weight oi .he arm ta, o,ta. »« ™ »
do in each tempo extreme. Let us take the case
SLOW claying. One can lunge the weight of the
So a foSssimo chord, octave or single ttoe, regard «s
of the condition of the hand-wh.ch may be fairly lax.
The weight serves to depress the keys, and there isi no
hurry. In pianissimo playing, however, one is deniea
this weight of the arm as a means of sending down the
keys, because too loud a tone would otherwise ensue.
One must summon up the very fine-mechanism of the
hand; for only the tiny, swift muscles of the hand can
overcome the resistance of the keys without allowing
anything but a morsel of the energy to get to the piano-
strings- And so slow soft playing is more difficult than
slow loud playing. .,
The tables, for most people, are turned in the case
of RAPID playing. Rapid, soft playing demands activ¬
ity of the hand mechanism spoken of above. Yet, when
a passage demands volume as well as rapidity the hand
spans must be not only staunch and fleet but also under
what for them is a great weight, just as staunch and
fleet as though they had no weight to bear at all. Fancy
yourself running about deftly and easily with a thou¬
sand odd pounds upon the shoulders, a load ten times
one’s own weight 1 Yet the hand must do a similar thing
in bounding about under the weight of the arm. Hue
in rapid passages of great tone volume the arm-weight
carries down the key, thus relieving the hand of this of¬
fice ; but the advantage is not so great as the disadvantage
of coping with weight.
Why Some Organists Fall into a Rut
By W. Elliss
Why will organists “move heaven and earth,” so to
speak, to secure an appointment, and then straightway
get into a rut. Often they neither try to improve them-
serves nor the services of the church at which they play.
They fail to provide interesting music for their volun¬
taries, feeling, presumably, that so long as they behave
themselves their position is secure. .
Let us for a moment consider the source of a tew in
whose places we would love to stand.
Though he knew every detail of the magnificent organ
in St George’s Hall, of Liverpool, it was the custom of
the late and famous W. T. Best to practice frequently ;
this in spite of the fact that he was giving three recitals
weekly, and thus was thoroughly familiar with his
instrument. When, at length, he announced his inten¬
tion to resign, a neighbor to his suburban home reported
that he had resumed piano practice to the extent of three
or four hours per day, evidently with the intention oi
feeling himself in good form to the end. At the finish
of his public career critics and public agreed that he
never had played better, his last series of recitals calling
forth unstinted praise and appreciation-
illustrating the character of two distinguished, men, an
incident occurred several years before Mr. Best’s retire¬
ment. It became known to the public that the celebrated
French organist and composer, M. Saint-Saens, was
spending a holiday in Liverpool. Suggestions came from
many directions that he be requested to give some recitals
on the great St. George’s Hall organ. Letters on the
subject appeared daily in the newspapers. Finding that
apparently no steps were being taken in the matter a sec¬
tion of the musical public began to accuse Mr. Best of
jealousy, in that he would not arrange for Saint-Saeps
to play. Some even hintfed that he Ought to be removed
from his position.
This went on without Mr. Best taking any part in the
excited correspondence or defending himself in any way,
until evidently he thought the matter had gone far
enough. Then a brief letter covered his detractors with
confusion. It stated that M. Saint-Saens was a guest in
his home and that he had done all he could to induce his
distinguished visitor to give at least one or two recitals,
but that M. Saint-Saens had naturally refused to im¬
peril his reputation,by performing on an organ so big
and complicated without having familiarized himself with
its mechanism, and this he had not time to do.
THE ETUDE
Illustrations that Prod the Interest
By Helen J. Andrus
who had
efct Suddenly th« teacher tamed
- - *.
W Th! Sd nulled, fur (bis was •.W ”d she un-
mediately played the study perfectly. This lesson m
“a UtttegH was"playing 8 a march in which part of the
melodv was in the bass. She could not bring out the
melody, and also play the chords Softly with *6^
parades tl pa^sed^by'? ,S The"chil'd had noticed them and was
one of the big horns, while the music of the other in¬
struments would be played quite softly, so the P eo P le ^
the street could distinctly hear the big horn The chdd
then easily played that part of the piece with a strong
melody and soft accompaniment.
Seven Keys to Listening
By Mary Janet Cutler
For judging or appreciating Music as well as other
Arts, we must be educated. We must know the way to
listen is with the attention concentrated and the mini
alert, ready to receive the sounds in such a way as o
grasp their meaning and mentally digest them. Ak.
we must know what to listen for, best told by answei mg
seven questions. .
1 What is the nature of the composition. Does t
represent something outside itself and thus become > o-
gram Music, or is it Absolute Music?
. 2 For what instruments is the composition written.
Is it for a complete orchestra, for stringed instruments,
for piano alone, etc. ? . t
3. What is the approximate date? The answering of
this question will determine a great deal about the style
and character of a composition. Music development
though slow during the early years, has been of a prog¬
ressive and overlapping type. So, we do not expect to
find in Beethoven the kind of musical ideas that are
accustomed to be associated with Rubinstein or to antic¬
ipate the sentiment of Tschaikowsky m the works of
4. What are the chief themes? We must be aide to
seize upon these and to remember them in such a way
that their subsequent development may be clear to our
mind and therefore a source of real interest. Only as
a composer takes the melody as raw material, develops
it and makes it form a part of an elaborate composition,
does his work enter the realm of Art. Often one or
two little “given ideas,” like the initial theme of Beeth¬
oven’s Symphony No. 5, in C minor, causes whole move¬
ments to spring into being. We shall therefore want to
recognize these themes in their simple selves and later
in their development; and so we shall want to know . !,_«
5. How did the composer develop his ideas? Is it
by variation of the theme, by the use of a minor effect
for a major, by a change of key, and rhythm, by repe¬
tition or what? If the latter method mentioned is used
we shall want to know whether it is good repetition or
simply a reiteration with further emphasis.
Following the development of the little themes, the
interest will be aroused as to,
6. What is the Form of the work? This can only he
answered after the listener has studied the smaller two
and three part forms and the larger forms such as t e
Sonata and Symphony. ,
After these thematic questions, the attention is direct
to the melodic division of the subject and the questio
seven arises, . . e
7. Can anyone in any sense follow and appreciate .
subtle effects of harmony? Fitness of harmony to * ^
the melody gives truth of expression and distingto
the artist composer from the “jingler.” With the beg
nings of Music, the Harmony was exceedingly simp >
developing little by little until a very simple melody
be clothed in beautiful Harmony.
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 569
i
Modern Violin Study
By LEOPOLD AUER
Short Extract, Iron, “ Violin Playing, I ft ” Mcssor Auer's recently
published masterly work. Reprinted here by Special Arrangement
with Professor Auer and the Publishers,
Frederick A. Stokes Company
' pupil" of "his great
Soloist to the Tzar
the St. Petersburg
Holding the Violin
T „ holding the violin the first thing to bear in mind
is ffiat it should be held in such a position that.the eyes
mav be fixed on the head of the instrument, and the
ami should lie thrust forward under me back of he
violin so that the fingers will fall perpendicularly on the
strings, the fingertips striking them with deeded
“ecmid important poinHs
undTrZtttheTiolin. The placing of a cushion beneath
the back of the instrument, m or f r ‘°
cure support to the chin grip, should also be avoided.
These -e bad habits which one should from the^ very
.tart carefully avoid, since they not only spoil the vio¬
linist’s pose in general, but-and this is extremely im¬
portant-^ make the player lose at leasta thprdofthe
whole body of tone which his v, . ol f n " be ' we ak one-is
indifferent instrument, a powerful or a weak one—is
Ca As'f or * the°chin-res t, the one used shouldbeadapted
Those violinists who rest the instrument against ^he
shoulder, and place a cushion at its back-bcth of wtach
act as mutes—evidently have no notion of the disas
trous effect this arrangement has on their tone.
Always try to raise your violin as high as possible, m
order to secure for your hand the-greatest freedom of
movement from one position to another This may be
accomplished by slightly advancing the left arm toward
^Endeavor always to lessen the distance between to
arms, to bring them together by inclining the body
slightly to the left, yet without resting the left arm
against the front of the body. At first you will not find
it at all easy to raise the violin without support, but in
the course of time one accustoms oneself to it, with a re¬
sultant gain in facility in reaching the higher positions,
as well as in the playing of rapid descending passages.
Sing on Your Violin
Joachim, Weiniawski, Sarasate and others-every
great violinist of the close of the last century-had each
his own individual manner of holding the bovy; since each
one of them had a differently shaped and proportioned
arm, muscles and fingers. Joachim, for instance, held
his bow with his second, third and fourth fingers (1 ex¬
cept the thumb), with his first finger often in the air
Ysaye, on the contrary, holds the bow with his first
three ’fingers, with his little finger raised in the air
Sarasate used all his fingers on the stick, which did not
prevent him from developing a free, singing tone and
airy lightness in his passage-work. The single fact that
can be positively established is that in producing their
tone these great artists made exclusive use of wrist-
pressure on the strings. (The arm must never be used
for that purpose.) Yet which of the two, wrist-pressure
or finger-pressure, these masters emphasized at a given
moment—which they used when they wished to. lend a
certain definite color to a phrase, or to throw into re¬
lief one or more notes which seemed worth while ac¬
centing—is a problem impossible of solution.
Incidentally, we may observe the same causes and the
same effects in the bow technique of the virtuosi of the
present time. They may have nothing in common
either in talent or temperament, yet, notwithstanding this
fact, each one of them will, according to his own indi¬
viduality, produce a beautiful tone. The tone of the
one may be more sonorous, that of the other more trans¬
parent, yet both will lie ravishing to hear, and not even
the closest attention will enable you to divine which form
or degree of finger-pressure the artist has exerted to
produce his tone. Young students cannot be told too
often: “Sing, sing on your violin! It is the only way
in which to make its voice tolerable to the listener.
Hints on Tone Production
When taking up the bow with the fingers, lower the
hand in such a way that the bow falls naturally into
position, of its own accord. By so doing you will obvi-
ate the feeling which impels you to cling tightly to the
Hold the bow lightly, yet with sufficient firmness to
be able to handle it with ease ; above all, do not try to
bring out a big tqne by pressing the bow on the strings.
This is an art in itself, and can' only be developed by
means of hard work and experience.
Do not press down the bow with the arm: the whole
body of sound should be produced by means oi a high
pressure of the wrist, which may be increased, little by
little, until it calls forth a full tone, perfectly pure and
lessor Auer’s new work is probably the most important book
upon violin playing ever written. It is especially rich in
content for students and young teachers. The Etude takes
pleasure in presenting the following extract, possibly made
more interesting because Professor Auer has transferred his
teaching activities to America.]
equal in power, from the nut to the point of the bow,
and vice versa. ’
Begin with slow strokes with the whole length of the
bow, allowing ten or twelve seconds for each down- and
up-stroke, and stop as soon as you feel fatigue. The
muscles and the joints of the wrist and forearm stand
in need of relaxation after an effort which, however
slight, has been continuous.
The degree of finger-pressure to be applied to the
stick is a question of experience, of observation from
the instructive gide, and also of discipline.
In order to learn properly how to obtain an equal
tone, both at the nut and at the point of the bow, the
natural tendency of the hand to press down upon the
bow at the nut,—because of the greater weight of this
part of the stick—and, contrariwise, to weaken at the
point,—the weakest portion of the Stick — must be
counterbalanced by additional pressure—always of the
Style in Violin Playing
Historical style, traditional style: I acknowledge tot
there are such things, just as we have armor in museums
and time-hallowed observances. And I will not withhold
due respect to all musical tradition which serves a useful
purpose, which is a contribution to the general history of
music. Style, however, is incidental to its period. It
changes but does not develop — I am speaking as a vio¬
linist, of violin playing—in the sense that its develop¬
ment is sequential. How can it? Style in reality is the
temporary crystallization, at various periods, of the ideals
of violin interpretation best suited to the intellectual and
musical feeling of the periods in question, and born of
the violin music of those periods itself. No doubt
it has even in a measure, been influenced by the make
of the instrument. Speaking in a general way, the high
model violins, such as those of the Stainer type,, speak
more readily, while the flatter violins of the Cremona
school have more carrying power and flexibility, and
their tone is more susceptible to subtle variation by the
player. That the greater interpretative possibilities of
the Cremona type have had their favorable influence on
violin composition is more than probable. But this is
only incidental. The music written for the violin by the
older masters and played by them did far more to de¬
termine the syle of their period.
Another century, other music—other music, another
style. Of course we do not play Bach as we play
Tschaikowsky. But that is not really because tradition
tells us that Bach requires a different interpretation. Mu¬
sical instinct is sufficient. We play Bach differently be¬
cause his music itself make us observe certain canons
of taste, certain modes of expressional procedure in pre¬
senting his Sonatas or his Concertos. But I again insist
that it is not because of any traditional feeling—at least
it should not be — for Bach’s works rise far above all
considerations of historical style in their grandeur and
majesty, their soul and charm. We play them, or try
to play them, as Bach’s music should be played — rever¬
ently, almost as a rite of the sacrosanct mass of beauty,
expressing as best we may, individually, all that they
convey. Probably no great violinist of to-day plays the
Bach sonatas as they were played by the well-known
violinists of Bach’s own day. Yet, despite the fact that
the player may be centuries removed from the interpre¬
tative spirit of Bach's time, he may play Bach sonatas
better than they were wont to be played then. The
musical spirit of Bach transcends all narrow limitations
of period, and the artist of to-day who truly enters into
this spirit will play Bach as he should be played, and
will play Bach better because he will play him in the
interpretative spirit of our own generation, not that, of
1720.
Page 570 SEPTEMBER 1921
Eye-Training for Music-Students
By Dr. Herbert Sanders
Eye and Ear Training: A Parallel
For a decade-and-a-half the trend of music-study
has been in the direction of ear-training; and this is
riehh for a trained ear to the musician is what a
trained eye is to the artist. It is the ear which guides
and colors the tone (whether vocal or instrumental)
as the eye of the artist guides the hand and colors
the canvas. The three senses which the music-student
must develop are. sight, hearing and touch; and it
would be a profitable inquiry for him to consider the
relative importance of these three senses, that they
might be developed along scientific lines in his study
and practice. Does s : ght come first in importance
or hearing? Of what importance is the sense of toucn
In mechanical work at the piano the sense of touch
is cultivated. Whenever we hear music the sense ot
hearing is exercised, and every time we hear with at¬
tention it is cultivated. The sense of sight is only
exercised when the student looks at the printed page of
music which lies open before him.
In order of operation, then, if not in importanc ,
sight comes first. Yet I have come to the sad con¬
clusion that among music-students that it is the least
cultivated of the three active senses m music-produc¬
tion sight, hearing and touch. In concentrating on
••ear” we have forgotten ‘ sight.” The reason piano-
' playing for instance, is often indifferent is because
the music-page has never been entirely and accurately
On Reading Ahead
Excellent sight-readers are frequently asked by sup¬
posed uninstructed but musically-inclined people: How
far do you read ahead?” If you have been asked the
pertinent question did you give an answer satisfactory
to yourself? Did you answer "a line ? or a page .
Those who are blest with the Tonal Vision, .. r, the
power of realizing music without the aid of an instru¬
ment—the "hearing with the eye,” or conversely the
"seeing with the ear,” as it lias been aptly cal ed, would
probably answer: “As far as I can mentally reahze
he music at the moment”; arid generally speaking this
nv be the correct answer. This ability is the result
„f musical training or instinct. But have you notmed
that the less musically gifted-those whc'have no Tona
Vision—can often do the same thing? By what mental
nrocess are they able to get the same result? I think
the answer is this: those possessing the Tonal Vision
realize the music itself, i. r.. the symbols are translated
into imaginary sounds and it is these imaginary sounds
which are remembered; those without this ability
pictorially realize the printed page. That is to say,
I hey retain not the imaginary music but only the sym¬
bols! (the instrument afterwards does the translating
into sound) ; others, again, may adequately realize both
symbol and sound, though rarely m the same degree
jt i s exceptional to find sight and hearing equally
developed to a fine point in the same person.
Possibilities of Sight
Some readers may think this theory rather far-fetched
and it would seem to be so if we put an arbitrary limit
to our sense development—a very unscientific pro¬
ceeding. But what are the possibilities of sight. I
will start with the English money system £-s-d be¬
cause I am accustomed to it (that is. the system, not
the money) and it happens to come to mind first. Now
if I had some large sum of English money to add I
would start with the farthings and proceed to the
pence then to the shillings and finally to the pounds
But people who have become experts with the English
monetary system through continuous working with
™ would scorn such a slow and primitive method.
They would add the three denominations at once.
srsswa V? =
they may be said to look at the sum pictona ly, the con¬
scious analysis may or may not follow later
Take another instance—that of our boy-Scouts They
are instructed to pass a store and in passing to give
a dance at the window (not to linger and count or
classify the things it contains, that would be leisured
analyses), after the glance they have to enumerate and
describethe things they saw. (It may be incidental y
mentioned that this includes two acts, the first s
merely sensation, they see the wndow; the second is
perception they perceive the order, number and size of
the things seen. Sensation is the effect of something
exterioAo ourselves on ourselves; perception is the
every moment of our lives w tr ; e d
even though at the moment we saw w
SftKKS -
insurmountable obstacle to a persevering eye.
W. Human aud hm™ -f
„J y Dca,,, tell, of a girl who was *»'”*
through her dress catching fire. She was & e
lire at the time of the accident and to get a draught
she used a newspaper in front of the fire-gra .
feverish delirium which followed she recitedl what was
evidently a tremendously long extract from a news
paper Subsequent investigation pointed to the fact th
at to moment her dress had taken fire the burning
paper had made such an impression on her m nd that
she had remembered (subconsciously, as a picture for
she hadn’t read it) a part of the reading-matter and
it was this she was reciting. Of course this is an
exceptional case, but it illustrates the possibility of my
contention-that at a thoroughly attentive glance a page
of matter (to which music-matter can be no exception)
can be grasped as a whole and fixed in the memory
ready for conscious ^analysis (i. e reading) whenit
pa-e is withdrawn? I will hazard a guess that at least
twenty-five per cent.ybf the mistakes which the average
music-pupil makes are due to the fact that they rarely
see the printed music at all but only see a part, and
often a very small part of it. Some see the notes but
not the accidentals, others see the melody but not the
harmony, others never see the fingering, and so on
There are (as I have stated) other reasons for this
(the lack of the Tonal Vision for example), but in a
THE ETUDE
, rase , it is a positive certainty that few
players grasp the full content of the music page before
them. They “have eyes but see not.
Some Experiments for Music-Students
rive vourself or your pupils “eye” as well as “ear”
t J s for purposes of experiment. As you might play
a bft of music to a pupil and ask him to write or play
afterwards, similarly give him a glance at a page
of music and ask him to write or play what he has seen.
You will find after such an experiment that only a
very small part of the printed page has been realized
and some would be unable to say whether the music
was fingered or not. There is no scientific reason why
“eye” tests should not be given as well as tests
a trained eye .is as essential to musicianship as a trained
^The possibilities of ear development are illustrated
in the historical incident of Mozart leaving church with
the unpublished Mass in his head or pocket. The pos¬
sibilities of eye development can be seen in the artist
who paints seascape or landscape from memory and
an artist assures me that hundreds do it. Perhaps it
i* that we are inclined to see the music page as we
hear music, i. taking in a bit at a time Music itself
cannot, of course, be grasped in any other way , t
the instantaneous possibilities of sight rare y r
consideration. And yet there is so much in a look,
for one a glance at nature means nothing, for anothei
it means the birth of a sonnet—it depends largely on
the glance and who gives it. Of one thing there can
be no doubt: to become accomplished sight-readers
the first step (and the one rarely perfected) u visual ly
to realize the printed page of music; for how on ear i
are we to translate the symbols into sound or actio
if we have never really seen and realized the symbols:
Read, Read, Read
By Ernest Eberhard
The very best way to learn to sight-read ; in fact,
uZoi thZroyal «*.* .=
thing that you can lay your hands ° n - U" ders ‘"1to
rhythmical figures and chords that you are likely
come across in every-day usage, then spend live or te
minutes every day in this exceedingly useful exercise
It will do you more good than half an hour s study a^
technic and pieces. I feel extremely sorry for the per
son who, while recognizing the importance of readi g.
is yet so shiftless and lazy as to consider it to be ot
^Gradually increase the amount of time (hat you
spend reading as your ability and taste for it become
greater. You will find that the phrases, the sentences
the entire sense of the music that you ar; playing wi .
improve, for you cannot read music note by. note, but
must take it in ph'rase by phrase.
When you read a book you do not read evsry letter
in every word, you do not even read each word but
guess at half of what you are reading, being helped
by your knowledge of spelling and grammar When
vou read aloud, have you ever noticed how often you
say “the” instead of “a,” or some similar mistake? I
is not that you cannot read the word, it is because you
have guessed wrongly.
In listening to a play the same thing is true. 1 he
ear catches onlv a few of the words, the mind sup¬
plies the missing ones from our experience of what
thev should be. If you have ever attended a play in a
language with which ‘you .are familiar, but have not a
reallv every-dav, intimate acquaintance, you will fully
realize-the truth of this, fti our music reading exactly
the same laws and principles hold true. We must
guess at a great part of what we play, and we must
guess at a great part of what we hear.
Some people have naturally a good ear. catching the
phrases and chord relationships easily; such are talented:
others who have not got the same inborn ability can
acquire it, and the genius,can vastly improve it, by ear
training, the ability to recognize chords and intervals
as to name when hearing them played, recognizing
their effect when seeing them written, and a thorough
knowledge of theory; harmony, counterpoint, composi¬
tion. How in the wide world can you expect to play
a fugue unless you know how the voices travel? how
can you phrase a melody unless you understand its
construction? These things are all of the greatest
necessity to the musician ; of course, the piano pounder
does not need tljese things. he is-much too intelligent
and far top mucf) of a gepius to learn to do anything
besides move his fingers;up and down as fast as pos¬
sible and with as much noise as possible! Have you
ever met a good composer who was a bad sight-read,r?
Uo you know (hat generally the greatest pianists and
executants of all time have done something as <'"n-
posers? Perhaps you have heard of tile compositions
of these virtuosi: Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart,
dementi, Beethoven, Mendelssohn. Chopin, Liszt,
Brahms, Rubinstein. Busoni, Godowsky, Hotmann,
Paderewski; the list is endless.
It would seem that if a man can compose well lie
can execute better than lus fellows. Perhaps the two
most notable exceptions were Wagner and Berlmz. but
both of these made up for their lack in tins respect
by their ability as conductors, and that is a wry real
form of virtuosity! Take the name of any pianist of J
prominence, and you will find that he is at least some- -i
thing of a composer, generally a good one. I Hardly
think that any person who once grasps that idea will
continue to look upon the study of theory as uncssen- 5
tial, or give as an excuse for the neglect of tins most
important study the reason that they desire in be a
concert pianist, not a composer or a teacher. \\ , might
also mention that, despicable as is the profv-sion of
teaching to these “coming" pianists, almost e\ery great
pianist has his class of pupils. If more teachers im¬
pressed upon their pupils how necessary it is to study
theory, we would have far less of this awrul, unin¬
telligent “key bouncing” that we get so much of every
day of our life.
If you cannot afford to buy the music for reading,
there are always public libraries, and some of these
have a small but growing collection of music. You
can easily obtain a special card to pursue your studies
in this line, which will enable you to keep a piece ot
music out for the space of six months. ) on might
perhaps even make your friends of use; making an
arrangement by which you can exchange music, of
course, returning it after you have finished.
If you have any musical friends who arc willing. the
best thing that you can do is to invest in some duet
books, or perhaps the public library has some, sliiftittg
around so that each of you has a chance to playl»!
the treble and the bass parts. COUNT AND LISTEN.
Try to keep your eyes on the music, you don’t get your
notes from the keyboard; your sense of locality shou
be developed enough- to enable you to do this after a
fair amount of practice and study.
So always remember that, just as in reading a boo
your knowledge of grammar and spelling help you. J :
so in music will your knowledge of theory help you- ^
not forget that musicians are not born in perf ec
but only become such by the hardest and most exac i
kind of work.
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 571
THE ETUDE
Secrets of the Success of Great Musicians
By EUGENIO DI P1RANI
Jules Massenet
(1842-1912)
There is hardly another figure in the history of music
which can better than Jules Massenet be taken as an in¬
spiring model by young and old musicians. His genius
of course cannot be imitated; but his pertinacity in
work should be a guiding star for all ambitious artists.
Since early youth he had formed the habit of getting up
at four o’clock in the morning and of working incessantly
until midday. He used to labor sixteen hours a day, sleep
six hours and the meals and the dressing took the rest of
his time. 4
The director of the French Opera once said .to
Massenet: “My dear Master, tell me the secret of your
abnormal creative ability. You listen to singers, you
attend every rehearsal and besides you are professor
a 1 the Conservatoire. When do you find time to work?”
"When you are asleep,” replied Massenet. And even
when not actually composing, he was always in search of
inspiring subjects, he was travelling in foreign countries
to direct and witness the performance of his operas.
Early Struggles
For this fabulous activity is surely the chief secret of
Massenet’s unprecedented artistic success. It is only
through such tireless energy that work of great power
and scope can be produced.
His motto was: “I have never been able to let my
mind lie idle.” . . • . •
His youth was connected with material difficulties.
In 1851, when he was 9 years old, after having undergone
an examination he was admitted as a pupil of the Con¬
servatoire. His parents having taken him with them to
Chambery, he escaped from the paternal homestead and
started for Paris without a sou. He tried to give lessons,
he played the piano in one of the cafes of Belleville, and
later on he was employed in the orchestra of the Theatre
Lyrique as kettle-drummer.
He was living in an attic of a large building from
which he could enjoy whiffs from the orchestra which
escaped from the popular concerts that Pasdeloup con¬
ducted in the Cirque Napoleon every Sunday; and from
his perch he applauded with feverish joy the works of
Berlioz and of Wagner, his “gods”, as Massenet called
For the competition of the Institute the candidates had
to reside at the Institute and to pay the rent of a piano,
wnieh was twenty francs. Massenet could not afford the
expense and he resolved to do without. Fortunately he
never needed its help in composing. His neighbors bothered
him by pounding on their pianos and singing at the top of
their lungs. However, Massenet won over his six competitors.
The judges, Berlioz. Thomas and Auber awarded him the
much coveted Prix de Rome.
Studies in Rome
Massenet went to the Villa Medici in Rome together
with the young painters, sculptors and architects who
were also winners of the prize. The carnival festivities
at Rome were just ending with their Bacchanalian revel¬
ries and Massenet with his companions spent the day in
throwing confetti and flowers at all the lovely Roman
girls who replied with bewitching smiles from their
balconies on the Corso. Massenet writes in his memoirs
that he never could forget these types of rare, sparkling
and fascinating beauty.
In that time Rome may not have offered to the young
students who were sent there from the French govern¬
ment much to improve their musical education; but the
azure sky, the alluring black eyes, the atmosphere sat¬
urated with joy and enthusiasm, gave them an inspiration
such as no teaching and no severe training could ever
impart. One notices the influence of this bewitching
atmosphere as well in the early works of Massenet as
in the immortal creations of Thomas, Gounod, Berlioz,
Bizet and others who also were benefited by the award of
the Grand Prix.
In Kome Massenet met a beautiful girl who had come to
the Eternal Pity on a sight-seeing trip. She had been recom¬
mended to Liszt so that he might select for her a musician
capable of directing her studies. Liszt proposed Massenet
whose reluctance in accepting was overcome by the young
girl’s charm—so much so. that two years later she became
1 le \Vhen °baS J in°"paris! Massenet could not refrain from
exclaiming: “What a contrast between the eternally beau¬
tiful sky of Italy which I have just left and the one i see
again, so dark, gray and sullen!”
His first experience with French music publishers
was not very encouraging. He took his “Poeme d’Avril”
to Chaudens, Flaxland, and Brandus, but all showed him
out. Only the young Georges Hartmann had faith in him.
Massenet, however, did not have from his first publication
either honor or money.
in front of him with his fingers opened out. His open
hands won for this remarkable tenor the nickname:
“Cinque e cinque fanno died” (Five and live make ten).
While he was in Milan the poet Zanardini read him a
scenario in four acts, on the story of “Herodias, which
inspired Massenet to one of his- future operas.
On his return to Paris he was offered the place of
professor of counterpoint, fugue and composition at
the Conservatoire to replace Francois Bazin.
As a Teacher
First Successes
His sacred drama, “Marie Magdaleine,” was given
at the Odeon under Edouard Cotonne’s direction but
Massenet had to leave the next day for Italy. The first
echo of this first performance reached him in Naples in
the form of a letter from Ambroise Thomas which I
give in full as it contains golden words which should be
taken at heart by every musician:
“Paris, April 12, 1873.
“I cannot postpone telling you, my dear friend,
how pleased I was last evening and how happy I was at
your fine success. It is at once a serious, noble work, full
of feeling. It is of our times; but you have proved that
one can walk the path of progress and still remain clear,
sober and restrained.
“You have known how to move because you
have been moved yourself.
“I was carried away like every one else, indeed,
more than any one else.
“You have expressed happily the lovely poetry
of that sublime drama.
“In a mystical subject where one is tempted to
fall into abuse of somber tones and severity of style,
you have shown yourself a colorist while retaining charm
and clearness.”
After having spent several years in the completion of
the “Roi de Lahore,” he writes : “Finishing a work is to
bid goodby to the indescribable pleasure which the labor
gives one.”
This work was given first at the Paris Opera and
afterwards at the Teatro Regio in Turin. Massenet
writes of the famous tenor, Fanselli, who had a superb
voice but a mannerism of spreading his arms wide open
He gave his courses at the conservatory twice a week.
He felt proud and happy to sit in the-same class room
where he had been a student, now as master. And as the
pupils seemed nearly of his own age he said to therii:
“You will have but one companion more who will try to
be as good a pupil as you are yourselves.”
However, the pupils showed him deferential affection.
He continued for eighteen years to be both a friend and
a patron to a considerable number of young composers. .He
rejoiced in their success, especially as they won each year
in the contest in fugue; and he confessed that this ten-titng
was Very useful to himself as it obliged hull to ic-nine
o the task of finding quickly what should be done
e rigorous precepts of Cherubini. About every yeai
md Prix de Rome was awarded to the pupils of his
In 1900 he received a parchment with the signature
of more than five hundred of his old pupils. The pages
were bound into an octavo volume. The signatures were
preceded by the following lines:
“Dear Master!
“Happy at your nomination as Grand Officer of
the Legion of Honor, your pupils unite in offering you
the evidence of their deep and affectionate gratitude.”
Among the names of the Grand Prix of the Institute
who showed their gratitude in this way were: Hille-
macher, Henre Raubaud, Gustave Charpentier, Renaldo
Hahn, Enesco, Bemberg and Laparre.
One must own that these facts give a grandiose idea
of the earnestness of musical studies in Paris. Matters
are taken there very seriously and thoroughly. Among
teachers and pupils we find names of great prominence,
names like Berlioz, Gounod, Thomas, Bizet, Sairit-
Saens, Massenet, names with a mighty good sound, the
pride not only of France but of the whole musical world.
American Artistic Hopes
How must we feel here in America, in our own
glorious country, where we do not yet have a national
conservatory, although there has been much talk of
establishing one. And, even if there were one, where
would be the teachers who would bring to the institution
the treasures of genius, of knowledge, of experience,
the prestige of an international name?
It is true we are a comparatively young nation and
it will take some time before we are enabled to do some¬
thing of the same magnitude as in France. Money is
net enough. With this one can only erect imposing
buildings, large concert halls—the container. The most
important part lies in the contents —the right men!
Massenet made several trips to Italy with the purpose
to prepare and superintend the various performances of
his opera “Roi de Lahore” at Milan, Venice, Trieste, and
other cities. These wanderings were very little to the
taste of Massenet; but the reason, he said, was that “at
the beginning of our career we have to give hints to the
orchestra, the stage manager, the artists, the costumers;
explain the why and wherefore of each scene, give the
right tempi and other details.
And here let me say that also the music publishers
ought to know something about the intentions of the com¬
posers. The practice of many publishers in judging of the
music of a composer only from reading the score without
consulting the composer’s ideas and if possible listening to
his own interpretation, is a mistake. These publishers say
that the music, when accepted, must take care of itself
without the help of the composer; but the publisher or
his adviser cannot appreciate the spirit and the possi¬
bilities of a new work without knowing the intentions of the
author. The publisher would be only benefited by the dis¬
closure of the veiled treasures of the composition.
Page 572 SEPTEMBER 1921
Vicissitudes of Herodiade
The score of “Herodiade” was finished at the beginning
of 1887. The three years he had devoted to this work
had been one interrupted joy to the composer. Massenet
relates the conversation he had with Vancorbeil the
director of the Opera.
}* ‘My dear director, as the Opera has been opened to
my “Roi de Lahore,” permit me to speak of a new work,
“Herodiade”.’
“ ‘Who is the librettist?’ . T
“ 'Paul Millet, a man of considerable talent, whom 1
like immensely.’ ,
“ 1 like him immensely too; but with him one needs a
^"‘A^carcassier!’. I replied with utter astonishment,
A carcassier! What kind of an animal is that?
“ ‘A carcassier,’ added the eminent director, seme
tiously, is one who knows how to fix up in solid fashion
the carcass of a piece; and I may add that 3™* ar ® "°
enough of a carcassier in the strictest sense of the word.
Bring me another work and the Opera will be open o
y0? From this enigmatic answer Massenet understood only
too well that the Opera was closed to him.
Calebresi, the director of the Theatre de le Monnaie,
at .Brussels, was of different opinion. He offered to
Massenet to produce it at once at his theatre.
The first private audience took place in Brussels, l
the foyer of the theatre, before the director, the publisher
' Hartmann, and the artists selected to create the partA
„ This masterwork had a dazzling success and passed
sdon the hundredth performance. Its most popular aria
"U est doux,” has become a favorite concert unmber of
every soprano. ,
His next opera “Manon”, was performed more than
800 times in the Paris Opera Comique and among me
artists who have taken the part were Mary Garden,
Getaldine Farrar and Lina Cavalieri.
The charming American singer, Sibyl Sanderson, was
the interpreter of his “Esclarmonde”. Massenet was
utterly fascinated by her talent and by her personality.
Massenet’s Humor
In his memoires Massenet writes of being present at
Caruso’s debut in Milan and confesses to a flagrant joke
he played while he was in that city, at a dinner of Son-
zogno, the publisher. Everyone knew of the strained re¬
lations between him and Ricordi. He slipped into the dm-
| n o- room ‘before anyone of the guests had gone in ana
plgced under Sonogno’s napkin an Orsini bomb which was
only of-cardboard, he had bought from the confec-
tl9 Beside this inoffensive explosive he placed Ricordi’s
card. The joke was a great success.
On the occasion of the first performance of his opera
“Cendrillon” in 1899, Gounod sent to Massenet the follow¬
ing lines: “A thousand congratulations, my dear friend,
on your latest fine success. The devil! Well you go at
such a pace one can scarcely keep up with you. One sees
how astonished a fellow artist was at the fabulous work¬
ing power of Massenet. This opera was given also in
America. The following cablegram was sent to Mas¬
senet: “Cendrillon here, success phcno menal. the
last word was too long and the sending office had cut it in
two, to m^ it morl profitable for the company
Massenet’s talent was of a rather feminine nature. He
lacked depth of thought and strength to S ra PP le SUCC ; S
fully with Biblical subjects. At the sametime th
distinct element of poetry noticeable in all h 's wo f ks ana
a peculiar sensuous charm is prominent in most of h s
compositions. To these qualities he added a nchly
colored and varied instrumentation and an always
interesting and often original harmonic ^atment
Few musicians can touch him in the art of ha ““ n “S
the orchestra. At the time when he was studying at the
Conservatoire he astonished everyone by the prodigious
amount of work he got through and the ease with which
he was able to compose. .
Once while Massenet was working on his ^ Te¬
resa”, he had to telephone to his librettist, Jules Claret.e
about some difficulty in the final scene. He called him up
and shouted: At
“Cut Therese’s throat and it will be all right. At
this moment Massenet heard an unknown voice crying
excitedly (somebody was listening at the wire) : *
if I only knew who you are, you scoundrel, I would de¬
nounce you to the police. A crime like that! Who is
to be the victim?”
Suddenly Claretie’s voice: . ...
“Once her throat is cut she will be put in the cart with
her husband. I prefer that to poison.”
The other man’s voice:
“Qh that’s too much! Now the rascals want to poison
her. I’ll call the superintendent, I want an inquiry.
A buzzing ensued; then blissful calm. With a sub-
scriber roused to such a pitch Massenet and Claretic
ran the chance of a bad quarter of an hour.
Massenet relates a conversation one of Ms friend_s wtio
Tnd lost nn uncle a millionaire, hau witn tne una .ridB. •
i.t,, i, the latter '‘Monsieur wants a first-class funeral,
he will have the entire church hung in black and with the
arms of the deceased, the Opera orchestra, the leading sing¬
ers, the most imposing catafalque—according to price.
“Then ^ir,^i^wilTbe second class; the orchestra fr °“
Opera Comique, second rate singers— according to amount
paid.”
Further hesitation. , . m
Whereupon the undertaker in a sad tone ^ he Lv ' ”
be third class but 1 warn you, Monsieur, it will not be gay .
A story is told of how one evening when he was dining
out, the mistress of the house insisted upon making him
listen to her daughter’s playing. At the end of the per¬
formance, upon being asked his opinion, Massenet grave y
remarked that it was quite evident that the young lady
had received a thorough Christian education. Why?
ejaculated the surprised parents. “Because she so scru¬
pulously observes the precept of the evangelist—her
right hand knoweth not what her left hand doeth.
It will only be necessary at the end of this article to
mention briefly the points which are most prominent m
Massenet’s career. , . . . ,
-Indefatigable wofk: into which he put his whole soul.
‘ —Exquisite amiability and kindness to his fellow
musicians, therefore he had few if any enemies among
ONE OF THE MOST EMINENT
FRENCH COMPOSERS
First Aid to Interpretation
By Anna Hurst
That “Americans see through their fingers is in
some parts a colloquialism. Which reminds us that some
people “hear through their eyes.” This latter should be a
part of the musician's equipment, as much as to be able to
u^e the ears. They should be among the most observant
° Perhaps the following incident will serve as lllu tratiom
A brisk breeze was noticed to be whirling a piece of
paper about, first to one side of the street and then to the
other, till it was in a sorry state. The story of the piece
of paper in the wind helped a young pupil to catch the
meaning of the scampering up and down the page of the
notes in a lively little piece called “May Breezes.
In my own experience, in a certain piece my teacher
wanted a peculiar rhythm, “a throb” he called it. This
never was quite understood till, on crossing one of the
great lakes, my ear caught the th’rob of the great engines
propelling the boat, which gave a conception of what my
master had felt and desired. After this experience, that
particular movement was easy to get.
The free and easy swaying motion of roller skating has
brought about a feeling of abandonment in a certain
“capriccio” in a way that nothing else suggested. Doubt¬
less many have had similar experiences.
Quoting again from the same teacher, “Listen care¬
fully, not only to your own music but to every sound
about you.” To this might be added, “Note minutely
everything within sight.”
One Minute with Mendelssohn
I know nothing more fatal than the abuse or neglect
of a divine art.
It is idle to talk of the defects of music; progress
and reform—that’s the question.
' I know of no aim more noble than that of giving music
to one’s native language and to one’s native country.
The first requisite in a musician is that he should
respect, acknowledge, and do homage to what is great
and sublime in his art.
If music is to be ybur profession, you cannot too early
accustom yourself to regard the subject-matter of a
composition as of greater moment and importance than
its outward form.
What a divine calling is music! Though everything
else may appear shallow and repulsive,,even the smallest
task in music is so absorbing, and carries us from town,
country, earth, and all worldly things, that it is truly
a blessed gift of God.
THE ETUDE
The Art of Accent
By Harold Mynning
Accent is the heart beat of music. Yet many never
learn to play with freedom and surety because they
lev™ have mastered this vital principle of their art.
Accents are guide posts,-so to speak to lead the way
through a composition. How often we hear an allegro or
So played in a jumbled manner, simply because no
clear accent sustains the rhythm. .jffl
But how is true accent to be acquired. Unfortun¬
ately, like everything else connected with panopa„
it is a slow process. Some seem to be born with a feel¬
ing for it, while others acquire it only with difficulty.
Scales, practiced in groups of two, three and four notes,
with a good accent on the first note of each group, help
to develop it. Use the metronome if possible.
Take, for example, the right hand work of the beauti¬
ful Fantasia Impromptu in C-sharP MmorJyChogin
The accent falls on the first of each group of four notes.
If the accented note is practiced louder than *e °thers,
it is likely to result in a jumpy, mechanical manner of
playing. Simply to stress the first note would be better.
Practice slowly and hold the accented note a trifle longer
than the others. ., . ■
In working for accents, one thing to avoid is a jar. ing
motion of the hand. This interferes with smoothness
and velocity. , , . „
Attend recitals of the celebrated pianists. Obser\e
which notes they accent and which they do not.
Finally, study more carefully your own accents. Often
the secret of much difference between the poor and
good players lies in their uses of accent.
Things to Remember About the
Mordent
By Allan ]. Eastman
Following is the proper sign for the mordent.
It is always played with 'the auxiliary tone below the
principal tone, thus:
Ex. 1
The rule is that the auxiliary tone is a half step lower
than the principal tone, except:
a. When the note affected by the mordent is pre¬
ceded or followed by a note one whole tone lower than
the note itself.
b. When the note affected by the mordent is either the
third or the seventh degree of the scale.
A natural or a sharp under the sign affects the
auxiliary note correspondingly, but does not affect the
principal note.
The Double Mordent
The double mordent is merely an expansion of the
single mordent by the addition of two notes, thus:
Ex. 2
The Inverted Mordent
What is known in English as the inverted mordent
is called in German the Pralltriller and in French the
Pince renverse. Note that in this the perpendicular line
is missing from the sign. In this embellishment the
auxiliary note is the next degree of the scale above the
principal note.
£sJ3Qj
The word mordent comes from the old French word
meaning to bi e, morderc In German it had the same
significance (Eeisser). We might infer from this that
in playing the notes should be bitten off sharply, as-n
were. Composers in the past laid great stress upon the
accuracy in playing such signs. Rossini, for instancy
heard a performance of his overture to William V
some thirty years after it was performed and was greaW
excited because the violoncello played a trill with t
auxiliary note one-half step above the principal note in¬
stead of one whole step.
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 573
T1IE ETUDE
The Teachers’ Round Table
Conducted by N. J. COREY
n,s department * destpned to hc,p tde teacher upon
-Who, to Teach," etc., and not technical PTobt^s pcMnlns to »natcut^ r.
History, etc., all of which properly belong to the Musi f** Qu inquiries
department. Full name and address must accompany all inquiries.
What’s What in Instructors.
“With all my youngsters I find the new Beginner’s
Book is splendid. They all seem to love it. But
to be frank I do not have so universal a success
with First Steps. Can .you recommend anything to
substitute in place of this? Also what should I use
after Duvernoy’s Opus 176?” N. D.
Your experience is similar to that of nearly all good
teachers, especially those who have many to teach and
continue the work indefinitely. It was never intended
that the books you mention should be suitable to every¬
one under all conditions. Ultimate perfection along
such lines will always be difficult so long as human nature
remains a variable quantity. I know of nothing that
excels the Beginner’s Book, hence am glad to learn of
your approval of it for so many pupils. Knowing that
First Steps was not suitable for all conditions, although
most admirable in others, a direct sequel to Begintu’r’s
Book was written, entitled, The Student’s Book. Have
you tried this? I think it will solve your problems. First
Steps proves valuable very often with adult pupils who
resent some of the child methods of early books. This
book leaves the way open more for the teacher to con¬
duct the work in whatever manner he thinks best. You
should supply yourself with elementary teaching material,
studies, pieces, etc., such as you see announced from
time to time in The Etude, make yourself thoroughly
familiar with it so as to be able to use it m varying
the work with your pupils as it may seem best. For
example, with some of your little ones, a book like
Cramm’s New Rhymes and Tunes for Little Pianists w.
prove a fine stimulant to their interest. Besides, not al
pupils have the innate ability to progress with an equal
degree of rapidity. When your pupils have finished
Duvernoy’s Opus 176, you will find it profitable to take
them directly into the first book of the Czerny-L.ebling
Selected Studies, omitting some of the earlier ones. This,
with the Standard Graded Course, and well selected
pieces, will carry you along.
At Forty-one
“1. I had lessons for one year when I was twelve
Three years ago, at the age of forty-one, I again
began taking lessons. My fingers are getting very
nimble and doing very well, and am Just limshing
Mendelssohn’s Spring Song. I readacciiratey.but
not raDidlv. What can I do to obtain facility in
this? I would like to be able to read church and
Sunday school songs at first slgb Ti t * mltmpss w hen~
“2. I suffer exceedingly from nervousness w
w s buf tia J c m z e vl ^rx
forget utterly. I have never I* made a failure,
UnecelsaryThat iThould try to play without my
notes?"—E. N.
E. N.’s letter was very long, far out-running our space
But we are glad to present the gist of it, as E. N. seems
to be an exception to usual experience We are otten
asked if satisfactory progress can be made, after twe y-
five Our usual answer has been that it is the average
experience of teachers that such progress is not made
after the muscles and ligaments become mature and fixed
Here now is an exception, a pupil of forty-one reports
•that she is getting along satisfactorily, a pupd who began
in the first grade after waiting from twelve to thi ty
nine before resuming study. There is hope, therefore,
for those who are starting late and are willing to work
patiently and with persistent application. We shall be
glad to hear that E. N. has achieved a fair measure of
virtuosity later, which will be a still greater body ow
to any answer we have given before to a similar question.
As to reading I would suggest that some of the col¬
lections of first and second grade music be obtained,
which the publisher has on sale at very moderate prices.
E. N. should take a good look at each piece and try to
form a conception of just how it should go, and then
bravely attack it, playing to the end without stopping for
mistakes. Try to learn to grasp complete phrases at a
glance. Facility in reading them quickly will come alter
a few weeks or months’ practice. Do not play any
piece more than twice before going to the next. After
playing the book through, read it through again. Then
go on to another. Do the same with your hymnal and
S. S. song book. In six months you will read so much
more quickly that you will not know yourself.
For nervousness I would refer you to a symposium on
this subject in the July number of the Etude. of last
summer. To ask you to play without notes, however
seems a good deal like standardizing teaching models
in the same manner as Ford cars are standardized. Only
one model and all cars stamped out to conform to it. it
would cost Ford millions to change the machinery in his
plant SO as to put out a new model. But it ought not
to be a heavy tax on your advisers to recognize that con¬
ditions are so different with you that memorizing for
a public recital is entirely unnecessary. With young
pupils memorizing is an essential part of study, both
for mental training and possible use that may be made
of the art in the future. But there is no likelihood of
your becoming, a public performer. Therefore for the
little you may desire to do along that line, the act should
be made as pleasant and easy, for you as possible. 1 he
majority of children play just as comfortably without
notes if not more so, after having become accustomed
to doing without them, a habit that continues throughout
their playing careers. In piano study the consideration
of the individual instance is always the important ele-
Beginning Problems with Young Teachers.
“1 I use the Beginners and Student’s Books.
At what point with these two Would you use
Mathews’ Grade J? , . . . . .
“2 The majority of children beginners let their
thumbs hang off the keyboard. What r, ' mf ' dj ' ''' oa 1 <1 ,
you advise? It seems to reqijjre constant remind-
111 “3 Would you use Czerny with the Student’s
Book with a talented nine year old pupil, or is scale
work enough with this book?
“4. How can one tell when the wrist is stiff in
a piano player?
(A human one, I mean !) o.
1 A teacher should learn tp exercise keen discretion
in such matters. Pupils vary so greatly in every factor
that influences the study of music, such as natural apti¬
tude, taste, studious application, physical constitution,
etc that it is almost useless for a teacher to try and
conform to a hard and fast rule that will apply uni orm-
lv to all As a general rule, however, with ch dren
I should say that the Beginner’s Bpok is about all that
'is needed, except you may wish to stimulate the , ^ e
by adding a well selected but short piece. Children
seem to grade their real advancement. from the time
thev are given a “piece,’! especially it it is sneer
music.” Older pupils pass over the rudimentary work
much more rapidly, owing to the greater matanly
the intelligence. All teachers need to ^crfpnize the
psychological fact that the ..brain faculties have no exist
ence in infancy, but are all a process of gradual budd¬
ing. When you teach the little tots you are not only
showing them how to play on the keyboard, but you
are also helping to build their brams and Processes as
well. Hence you can assume but little on what they
already know. Adult pupils sometimes accomplish the
elementary stages in what seems to be, comparatively
speaking, “almost no time.” They frequently come to an
impasse, however, beyond which they are unableto go,
showing that they have very nearly reached the limit
of their inborn capacity for music. Meanwhile the
slowly progressing child will advance steadily, year in
and year out, and in many cases rise to high attainment.
The brain will develop with what it is fed on. this
does not lessen the difficulty, however, with those child¬
ren whose inborn capacity is almost' at zero.
One can only make the hazard, therefore, that the
average pupil would better not take up the Standard
Graded Course until the. Student’s Book is entered upon.
In this case some of the elementary exercises may be
omitted, and experience will guide you to ^Hous omis¬
sions with pupils with differing degrees of talent It
you have plenty of material at hand, you can more*
telligently plan your work to fit individual pecuhant es
selecting and omitting accordingly. Study mdividua
^ constantly, until you cultivate keen discernment as
>»-*■* rrT„
J5=? £r SSVffl =•
many of their little pieces and etudes as POssible Al
technical exercises, scales, etc., must be done w.thou
notes. Constantly instill into your pupils he idea ffiat
after they have learned a g-ven piece or tudy by
and do not need to look ac the notes, that they a
just ready to undertake the most important part of the
practice the manner in whim they hold their hands
while playing. That they cannot give them atten t'° n
to this until they can fix it completely upon the hahds
while practicing. Constantly pound this into themMtot
the most important point, how they use hands, fingers
etc comes when they have learned a piece well enough
so they need to think of nothing else when they prac¬
tice As a supplementary aid, let them hold the thumb
key down while practicing various five finger exercises
which you will find in your books. Then the following
proves excellent because running up and down the keys
stimulates the interest. This should be taught to them
by dictation. Use the same reverse order for the left
hand, that is, proceeding down the keyboard. Be sure
the thumb holds down the half note.
3 I would not introduce the Czemy-Liebling until the
second grade is reached. Here again elementary work
may be omitted, unless needed as a review for special
%. By .observing that the. pupil holds the wrist stiff,
and listening to the hard tone produced. Try to gently
manipulate the player’s wrist while the hand is m action
on keyboard, and you will feel that it is stiff. Usually
the eyesight is sufficient.
School Credits
“May I have some enlightenment as to^how to
examine pupils desiring High School Credits- I
give an outline of the first year used here, second
semester form, which is different from that with
which I am familiar. The pupil is to take one
lesson weekly, practicing eight hours a week ror
four and one-half months. How much shoulfl be
required of the pupil at the examination ?”—S. E.
The conduct of examinations should not differ from
any exercise of that sort. You should have an idea of
what should be expected from the pupil in the line of
touch, accuracy, tone qualify, shading, tempo, and gen¬
eral expression, and make your markings for each as
your pupil plays. Your form demands the minor scales
and chromatic scales with hands separately and together,
legato and staccato touches, broken chords, octaves and
repeated notes, all at a given metronomic tempo. This
requirement you can easily follow. You would not ex-
pect your candidate to play from all the studies listed,
but simply a couple from whichever his or her teacher
had elected to use with a given pupil. The same with
the pieces. Two or three of the pieces should be asked
for; and from these you would form your 'judgment.
This is the usual manner of conducting examinations,
and I see no reason why it should be changed in the case
of school credits.
THE ETUDE
Page 5U SEPTEMBER 1921
Some Practical Ideas on Starting
Beginners
Horizontal Themes
By Flora J. Manlove
Here and There in Music
By The Recorder
By Robert A. Davidson
If you are a young teacher the best way to start your
beginners should interest you.
The starting of beginners offers a great field for you
because every player has to begin.
You can easily make a specialty with this little
“Method” that the writer will now put you wise to.
If you turn to the September Etude, page 554, you
will find the writer’s most successful way of teaching
the bass notes. You should adopt this way. Then there
will be no further trouble from your pupils striking
an E key in the bass because they learned for the right
hand that the bottom line is E.
Now, your beginner having learned some notes, how
will you handle him? Memory exercises at the key¬
board are good. But pupils forget them sometimes. This
is why the notes must come early.
Here is the best way to obtain finger practice for your
beginner, and you need use only one note for each mel¬
ody exercise:
3 13 j 255|313|255|424|353|153|I--| etc.
Place the third finger on the key indicated, and in a
five-finger position, play the proper fingers as these
figures indicate, from left to right.
This little exercise only requires your beginner to rec¬
ognize the note on the bottom line. It is spaced, as you
see, in waltz rhythm.
Take another note, such as:
2 3 2 5 | 2 3 2 5 | 1 3 2 5 | 3 4 5 - | etc.
This is spaced for march time. It only requires your
pupil to recognize the second line note, and is played the
same way, in a five-finger position.
The five-finger position is the beginner’s position. For
the other line and space notes you can find suitable ex¬
ercises on melodies for this purpose in the publisher’s
instruction material.
After this teach the use of two fingers at a time by ar¬
ranging such a five-finger exercise as this:
3 4 5 | 4 3 13 3 | |
I 2| 5 12-1 etc.
12 3|21 (I 1 I [
Train the left hand fingers the same way, with the
use of bass notes, one at a time
As a young teacher, you may need new pupils. This
little “Method” will help you get them, for wherever you
may be you can demonstrate the success of this method
right on the spot.
A parent is always interested to taiow how you pro¬
pose to teach her child. You can readily explain to any
parent, as the writer is always successful in doing, how
this teaches one note at a time. And by the use of the
five-finger position gives practice and training to the
fingers in a very easy and simple manner. Before being
able to play by note your beginner must surely obtain
control of his fingers, so tliey will play the proper key. at
the proper time. These one-note melody exercises do
just this, in the easiest and simplest manner possible.
tCall this work your “melody exercises.”
It is only a “method” because it does for you what you
want, and is the logical way of doing it.
You will find this work so satisfactory that your only
difficulty will be to supply enough material for home
practice. *
Increasing the Expansion
Mrs. E. G. Taylor, of Washington, D. €., sends the
following suggestion in regard to the question raised in
The Etude last December as to a means of increas¬
ing the expansion of the hands, so that oetaves would
become more easily compassed.
“I oner a suggestion I have found helpful with pupils.
I have them practice the following exercise;—
Holding down the two fingers for the short period in¬
dicated, before moving to the next position, helps to
stretch the hand through the centre, and after a short
time the pupil can easily stretch an octave. Of course
such exercises are dangerous, and liable to, strain the
muscles if practiced! too> long at a time. Heme, oncee
up the . Octave with the second and third fingers is
enough for the moment, proceeding, then to other work.
A little later treat the third and fourth fingers in the
same manner, relax, and practice other work.
In playing a selection of fugal form, when the theme
is given out by one ”voice” and then heard from
another, until there are three or four running melodi ,
the pupil is liable to make the effect like this | | | I
Playing each part through separately, and listening
carefully, will aid in making them “flow” properly.
Genius and Fingering
By May Hamilton Helm
Advice of Genius is often thought too high to attain
to, though one may heed the counsel of an ordinary
mortal. Even the most famous teacher complains that
pupils will not take advice about fingering.
We are too much inclined to experiment even after
others have blazed safe and sane traits for us. Piano
pupils learn—sometimes too late!—that correct habits
in fingering are of more importance than was dreamed
of in their philosophy. Nor is it possible to establish
habits by doing things differently each time.
That correct fingering is intimately and vitally con¬
nected with sight-reading seems indisputable. Many
mistakes occur because the right finger was not ready.
New converts are generally more zealous than older
adherents to a faith. Most of my difficulties arose
from having NO HABITS of fingering and from los¬
ing my place by bobbing my bead to see first the music
then the keyboard. A fellow student, an organist, gave
me the “tip” that made a good reader of an almost hope¬
less case: “Glue your eyes, to the notes—FEEL THE
KEYS as we do the organ pedals.”
The very term “sight-reading” implies quickness of
visiori. A schoolmate who could find words in the dic¬
tionary sooner than anyone else, became a fluent, ac¬
curate music reader, partly due to this natural rapidity
of sight-grasp.
Self-evident facts are often hardest to teach. When
no fingering is given, one would naturally suppose that,
if started on the right key, any pupil would play the
next key with the next finger—lying directly over it.
But do they do so? Ask any piano teacher. With un¬
natural awkwardness some pupils will try to squeeze all
the fingers together, fringing the thumb next to the
fifth finger. Necessity for this contraction arises, later
on, but when five fingers have but five keys to press,
wouldn’t any one suppose that each finger would take
the key lying under it?
To the End of the World
By Aldo Bellini
^ Each of us may shine; you fa your small corner, and
So it goes throughout the world. AH of us ccannot be
stars of the first magnitude. All of us cannot hold the
center of the stage in the glaring spotEght that fame
focuses cm her chosen few.
What each can do is to. make his work so good of its
particular kind that it will light the corner of the world
in which it happens to be executed. Why waste our
worry on how far the tight shall penetrate. But make
it intense enough by doing work than which you cannot
do better, and there is nothing in the universe through
which it will not penetrate, A high purpose, pursued
with persistent sincerity, knows no obstacle. Its pow¬
er and light will carry yeur personality round the world.
Take heart, O music’s devotee in seeming obscurity!
“A Good Idea.”
By Edna Hudson Duffy
As we all know, one of the important things in teach¬
ing music, and particularly with, the young ones, is to
keep them interested, by having a change b f or
them.
It is a good idea to give them, just before the special
holidays of the year—Christmas,, Easter, Fourth of J w ty,
etc—a selection suited for that special time. Have them
learn all they can about! the composer, and the writing
of the hymn or piece. So many pupils who. are quite
advanced, cannot play hymns, welt By using this method
it will, give them a change,, harm them as. well as some
good practice. .
Edward Baxter Perry, the famous blind pianist
pupil of Liszt and Clara Schumann, will teach next
at Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, in the Dep arl .
ment recently reorganized by Dr. J. M. Blose, whose
book The I’cdal, is well known to Etude readers. Sir
Edward was knighted many years ago by the hereditary
Prince of Melusine. He has never made capital of the
fact that he has been blind from infancy, hi fact, the
Recorder, in his own boyhood, read Sid Edward’s
articles in The Etude for years and never knew that'
the author of Descriptive Analyses of Pianoforte Com¬
positions and Stories of Standard Teaclwuj Pieces was
sightless. Notwithstanding this handicap lie has traveled
the length and breadth of America, for the most part
entirely unaccompanied, and has given over three thou¬
sand pianoforte recitals, employing a really immense
repertoire of pieces. Once "the Recorder was invited
to dine with Sir Edward, at the home of a friend.
Together with the friend he called at the pianist’s hotel.
Going down a dimly lighted corridor, we reached
his room. Knocking on the door we heard a cheerful
“Come in.” The door opened upon a room in complete
dressing,” said Sir Edward.
There in total darkness he walked about the room,
opening his satchel, his bureau drawers, a I making his
toilette in a way which made the Reconl realize for
the first time what total blindness really meant. The
blackness of the night was his all day id had been
for a lifetime.
What do you think of your handicaps, \ me, man, you
who have all your faculties? If Edward Baxter Perry
can achieve such an unusual career, notv 'landing the
greatest of physical afflictions, what may i not accom¬
plish ?
Charles Courboin, master-organist, formerly of tlie
Anthwerp Cathedral, but now very much \mcricanized,
and engaged to play the special conceit' n the great
Wanamaker organs in New York ami i ’biladelphia.
toured Europe last Summer in company » itli the ever-
affable director of the Wanainaker com - . Alexander
Russell, now Dr. Alexander Russell bv , rme of the
degree of Doctor of Music recently confer I upon him
by Princeton University, where he is the !’ ofessor of
Music. The two organists visited many ; the great
organs of France, Germany and England, and were
royally entertained by eminent musicians, in i ling Widor
and Saint-Saens. Mr. Courboin told the Recorder
recently that at Cologne lie was amazed to find the
organ in the great Cathedral in a most dilapidated condi¬
tion, owing to the fact that many of th< metal pipes
had been removed to make ammunition. Lwn the huge
Cathedral bell which thrilled so many Am van visitors
with its tremendous vibrations, went ;n'«> the melting
pot. Only in this way can we realize how sorely Ger¬
many was pinched and what a terrific effort she made to
win the war. At Paris, Courboin was present at a
meeting with Saint-Saens and an aggressive, bombast'c
American singer, who had induced the eights -six years old
master to hear her sing My Heart At Thy Street Voice,
from Samson and Dclila. At the end of a very excruciat¬
ing performance indeed, the singer turned to Saint-Saens
and said: “Now, Master, may I have the great honor of
an opinion upon my art from the illustrious composer
of the opera?”
Saint-Saens excla'med:
"Madame, you have forced me to the truth; your
singing is detestable! Awful! Horrible! How can you
ave the ,audacity to come to me believing that you have
voice (Waiter, please bring the smelling salts—the
prima donna is having a fit)
Incidentally, Saint-Saens has just returned from a
concert tour of Greece.
in a later .ssue some personal recollections .
win be recounted for the first time.
entovJ 1 y ‘I* f fateSt ma,e sin ^r of all tin
enjoyed popu ar favor which reminded one of t
which greeted Jenny Lind.
not - it \ reach jo music which the other a-Is hat
so sure. -Charles M. Schwab ^
SEPTEMBER 1921
TENDER REMEMBRANCE
M. L. PRESTON
\ n Noetur»c style. Play in the manner of a violin solo,with breadth and feeling. _
Ajidantino M.M.# = 72
Page 576 SEPTEMBER 1921
ON THE HEATHER
TH£ £ TUDt
HARRY 1
MOROEAU Play lightly and gracefully. Grade 4.
In characteristic style,employing a rhythm popularized by Dvorak in his Bumoresq, ,
u b — < |■■ C~~5~r *3 r r irrH*_ C H r T 1 r a~r •
Jf cresc. ■»—-
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a tempo 5 ^-^4 ^ J.*"*'
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tr I tr 1#
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£- —==
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Copyright secure
SEPTEMBER 1921 Pag? 577
THE ETUDE
ALPINE ECHOES
An excellent little study in shading and in echo effects. Grade 2^
C. REINECKE
THE ETUDE
Page 578 SEPTEMBER ml
VALSE DE BALLET
R. S. STOUGHTON
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921
Page 579
SABBATH CALM
Organ-like and contrapuntal in character with a suggestion of distant bell-chimes. Grade 3. E. F. CHRISTIANI
Andante sostenuto M.M.J=72
Copyright 1921 by Theo.Presser Co.
British Copyright secured
THE ETUDE
880 smmBls ‘T,wF’S SWEET LONGING
LO\ & ^ pl iQ a so ng like manner.
A duet in drawing-room style, with independent work » g^ONDO
Anda^t£-£on^<5Sspre8sione amoroso 4 J^
C.B.CLARK
Copyright 1921 by Theo. Presser Co.
British Copyright s'
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 581
LOVE’S SWEET LONGING
PRIMO
And ante c on espressione amoroso m.m.J=7£
SEPTEMBER 1921
Pa ft- 5S3
mUmi WILHELMINB
2nd MINUET A L’ ANTIQUE
A minuet in the old style, played rather slowly with firm ‘ tcCent gjj 0 Qj^j)Q
the etude
ANTON STRELEZKI,Op.i7 0
THE etude
WILHELMINE
Page 584 SEPTEMBER 1921
BATTLE OF THE STARS
In processional march style, suitable for indoor marching, calisthenics etc. A good teaching number also,
TEE ETUDE
, Grade 3 JOSEPH ELLIS
> >
A | M
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8 4 » » . *
8 2 14 8
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MIGNONETTE
THE ETUDE
Page 586 SEPTEMBER 1921
A P IBmJ G. KARGANOFF, Op. 20,No.l
MELODIb . chief Ivin duet style. These must be brought out careful-
A fUUh.d .„d very e*pr..,tve modern , 0 »g without word,,with the pr.cip.l vote chr.f.y -
ly. Grade 5 Moderato M.M. J=TZ
A | . .^T 4 | J J J
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Page 5S8 SEPTEMBER 1921
All phonographs, all records have been
weighed on the delicately balanced scales
of musical knowledge. And in the homes
of great musicians, both in Europe and
America, you will find Brunswick — the
musical world's accepted ideality in
phonographic expression.
THE ETUDE
PHONOGRAPHS
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 589
the etude
What They Say
in High Musical Circles
A SK musical authorities which phono-
graph they .prefer. Ask music teachers,
■*- -““musicians, critics. And the number .
who say The Brunswick will surprise you.
Ask which records they prefer, and again
you will hear The Brunswick.
And they will tell you, too, that while these
records are sweeter and more beautiful, on
. any phonograph, the ideality is attained
with a Brunswick Record on a Brunswick.
Exclusive Methods the Reason
Due to exclusive methods of Reproduction
and of Interpretation, Brunswick achieves
perfect rendition .of the so-called “difficult”
tones _ the piano, the harp, the human
voice; attaining even soprano High “C”
without “metallic” intrusion, “chatter” or
vibration. Methods which apply to no other
phonograph or records.
The Brunswick Method of Reproduction is
exclusively Brunswick. (Note illustrations
at left.) The Brunswick Method of Inter¬
pretation, in producing records, has not
. been successfuly imitated.
Hence, buying any phonograph, without at
least hearing The Brunswick, is a mistake.
And to be without Brunswick Records is to
miss much of what is best in music.
Ask your nearest Brunswick dealer for a
demonstration. The Brunswick plays all
records—and Brunswick Records can be
played on any phonograph. Hear, compare
—then judge for yourself.
Hear TheSe Brunswick
Super-Feature Records
—price 34.00. Or singly if desired.
{Any phonograph can play Brunswick
TWO MORE GREAT ARTISTS
NOW RECORD
EXCLUSIVELY FOR BRUNSWICK
FLORENCE EASTON
Soprano
Metropolitan Opera Company
Florence Easton
Accomplishment is the standard by which the world
gauges the merit of an artist.
Florence Easton, in making her debut on Brunswick
lecords, brings universally recognized laurels—success
on the European concert stage and in the Metropolitan
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Beauty and purity of voice, technical accomplishment
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For her Brunswick premier, she has chosen Bach-
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This new presentation emphasizes the brilliance and
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GIUSEPPE DANISE
Premier Baritone
Metropolitan Opera Company
Long before the Metropolitan Opera Compay suc¬
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The dramatic dignity which has always characterized
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To hear his first Brunswick record, “Di Provenza ii
mar” from Verdi’s “La Traviata” is to be convinced
that the sonorous, appealing and vibrant qualities
which have brought him fame, are unerringly iepro-
duced on Brunswick records.
THE BRUNSWICK-BALKE-COLLENDER CO., Chicago
Manufacturers—Established 184S
THE ETUDE
Page 590 SEPTEMBER 1921
Simpler and more Progressive
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and is undoubtedly the best book for beginners ever published.
SMartin’s Second Book
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There are studies and recreation numbers with each scale
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This book makes the pupil familiar with the different posi¬
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illustrated in a very clear and attractive way, is mastered
very easily and with little effort. The Scales, Studies and
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THE etude
\
SEPTEMBER 1921
Page 591
OFF TO THE COUNTRY
MARCH
Copyright 1917 by Theo. Presser Co.
British Copyright secured
THEETUDE
Pagr, 592 SEPTEMBER 1921 T7A T qTT FOSTASY
VALoJi ■CA.'O „ lth comparative .... .id fluency. Grade 4.
A liv«ly“rut»l«ir Walt.” lyin* .0 well under the hand, that .t may be taken a
Brillante
ISABELLE G. KNOUSS
# From here go to the beginning and play to Fine, then play Trio.
Copyright 1921 by Theo. Presser Co.
British Copyright secured
Page 594 SEPTEMBER 1921
THE ETUDE
IMPROMPTU
FRANZ SCHUBERT, Op. 142, No.2
One of the imperishable gems of melody. To be played in simple,unaffected style and with extreme accura y
the ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921
Page 595
SEPTEMBEH 1V21
THE ETUDE
THE TRUANTS
A jolly little Humoresque introducing a familiar nurser y rhyme. Play with m arked rhythm. Grade 2 a
A.GARLAND
Copyright 1921 by Theo.PresserCo. CHEERFUL THOUGHTS
In semi-classic style; suitable also for organ. Grade 2^ _ HERBERT RALPH WARD ,Op.38,No .l
Allegretto M.M.#=126 5
Copyright 1918 by Theo Presser Co.
British Copyright secured
CHANSON INDOUE
A SONG OF INDIA N. RIMSKY- KORSAKOW
from the Legend" SADKO” Transcription by GAYLORD YOST*
One of the most popular of modern Russian numbers, originally for voice, but much played upon the violin.
A nH a.ti ti no
*Mr. Yost's name must appear on the program when this number is played in public.
Copyright 1921 by Theo.Presser Co.
the
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 60S
tiie etude
A Talk to Boys Who Don’t Want Music
We knew a whole man once. He was
a hard-riding cowboy, a sure shot, a brave
soldier, was unafraid of African lions or
political enemies, a lover of a good fight,
and a good fighter. And'he loved music. .
H« loved it almost as much as we do.
Maybe more. He loved it so dearly that
whenever he heard certain strains of
nSelody the tears came to his eyes, and he
wasn't ashamed of them a bit. Sometimes
When we’ve heard'something, that makes us
"choke up” and brings tears to our eyes,
W e catch ourselves looking around to see
if anybody’s looking. Then we think about
Theodore Roosevelt—a real man, a whole
man—and feel ashamed of ourselves for
feeling ashamed of our emotion.
Don’t Knock it Out
Did you ever see a piece of .furniture
before it was varnished? Just as substan¬
tial as it ever will be. Yet you wouldn’t
want it in the house. That’s because it
isn’t the finished product. There’s some¬
thing lacking. . . . You’ve been hearing
lets of things about your bodies—how to
keep strong and well. You’ve read a lot
drat makes you crazy to do something
worth while in life. You are learning how
to use your language so other folks will
“get you”—will get you exactly; maybe
you’re learning other languages, too. You
may already know what you’re going to
be, and be at work developing yourself for
it. Well, there’s still another side to your¬
self, and you’d better think a bit about it
if you don’t want to be like an unvarnished
piece of furniture that nobody wants
around. It’s the side that made Roosevelt
tvhole enough to cry when he heard cer¬
tain music. It was something inside of
him that was especially fine. It’s in you—
in everybody. It’ll stay there unless you
let somebody knock it out of you some
day by some smart-aleck remark. Maybe
you'll knock it out of yourself by saying
sometime, ip a smart-aleck way, “Music
can't interest me.” Maybe you’ll cruelly
knock it out of some other boy—some boy
you see walking along with a violin under
his arm, or a saxophone or a clarinet—by
saying something to him that hurts. But
In the great Bethlehem Steel Works
they stop all the machinery at a certain
hour every day. And'then what happens?
The thousands of men and women who
work there listen to music. It’s very costly
to stop all the machinery in a big factory
and do a thing like that. But Charles M.
Schwab, who arranged it, says the gain of
it offsets the loss. Melodies get the work¬
ers’ minds off their work—dusts out their
brains — and they go back refreshed men¬
tally and physically. They work better,
they produce more, they are happier.
Those workers may not know it, but their
employer, whose wages clothe and feed
their bodies, has also fed their souls—
nourished the gentle, spiritual side of the
individual.
Schwab’s Reasons
We suppose you're wondering, “Does
Schwab take his own medicine?” He does:
Every week without fail he takes off
several hours to listen to music. He’s a
practical man, so he must have his reasons.
Here they are: “I don’t want to become
a dried-up business man. I want to keep
alive the fountains of sentiment. If senti¬
ment should ever go out of my life I
would feel that I had ceased to exist as a
human being, that I had become' a ma¬
chine. Music helps me to keep human.”
Brains Work Better
And here’s something else. It proves
what we said about music dusting out your
brains. Some of the greatest men in the
world have said that music has inspired
them to think clearly — to think out new
and brilliant ideas. We haven’t any doubt
about it. Some of the most brilliant ideas
we ever had came to us while we were
listening to our wife play on the piano a
Bach fugue, or a Chopin nocturne, or
picture ful harmonies of MacDowell or
Debussy. And they came—those brilliant
ideas—after we had worked hard all day
at the office and gone heme utterly fagged
and sure that we couldn’t think another
thought till to-morrow.—From The Ameri¬
can Boy.
The Music Student and the Public Library
By G. F. Schwartz
Music students, as a rule, are seldom
encouraged or assisted in doing systematic
reading and reference work relating to
their study. If there be any desire or op¬
portunity for collateral reading, it is
furthermore too often likely to be spas¬
modic and aimless. A student’s lessons are
presumably arranged according to some
logical plan; but many of the supplemen¬
tary things which a music student ought to
know are seldom given the attention which
they deserve.
Very few Public Libraries are any
longer to be found which do not contain at
least a few books—texts, encyclopedias
and periodicals—relating to msuic. To
make the most of this opportunity the
student should follow some definite plan.
First, it would be well to make as com¬
plete an acquaintance as possible with the
musical material which the local, or near¬
est accessible Public Library has to affer.
Second, lay out a plan according to per¬
sonal tastes or needs. If practicable, set
aside certain hours of the week for the
work. Among the particular topics which
suggest themselves, one might decide to
concentrate upon Musical Theory, History
including current events, or a supplemen¬
tary knowledge of one’s instrument.
Under the first heading, for instance, the
student might undertake (more exten¬
sively than is practicable in the studio) the
study of Terminology, Harmony and
Musical Form. The task will become sur¬
prisingly attractive and instructive as one
advances.
Third, acquire the habit of keeping
memoranda. For this purpose filing cards
are very satisfactory. Definitions, data,
ideas, themes (musical excerpts) may thus
be preserved, and filed after they have been
properly headed and classified.
If the student is reasonably persistent
and methodical, the ability to select de¬
sirable material will soon be acquired.
The information thus gained may be con¬
stantly, supplemented and modified as the
student’s horizon broadens. As a result of
the personal character of the selection and
arrangement of material, the collected
mamoranda will eventually acquire a value
which will generously compensate for the
time and effort expended.
Every New ETUDE Subscriber in Your Community Raises Musical
Interest One Step Higher.
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advantage in the Princess Grand. The de¬
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construction slow and painstaking. We there¬
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When you take up the matter of a new piano, you
Will want a grand. Why not start now by letting us
mail you a catalogue showing the Princess and all our
grands, uprights and players ? Write for a paper
pattern, showing the exact floor space the Princess
requires.
Wherever in the United States we have no dealer,
we ship direct from the factory. Liberal allowance
for old pianos in exchange. Attractive easy payment
plans.
s Write us today i
Ivers & Pond Piano Co.
141 Boylston St. Boston, Mass.
Please mention SUE ETUDE when addressing
THE
etude
Page 601y
SEPTEMBER 1921
f
i
h - - * * *
'
- -—
- !j
Department for Voice and Vocal Teachers
Edited by the Well-Known Voice Teacher
H. W. GREENE
“Thank You for Your Most Sweet V oic e s . —SH A K E S P E A R E
Observation on the Vocal Field
Some not unthoughtful pessimist asso¬
ciated the Vocal Profession with the
“Cemetery of Shattered Hopes,” and not
without reason.
There are so many motives back of
efforts to learn to sing that it seems almost
impossible to classify them. But back of
all is the half developed hope that- the
diamond mine may be discovered.
It is hardly necessary to waste sympathy
on but a few; and they are the ones who
had the gifts and the will to become great
but were thwarted by incorrect teaching.
It is true that a ship must be steered to
reach port, and as true that vocal students
must be guided to win success. But an
added element of uncertainty is the
student’s own attitude to the question. -So
few first estimate the art of Singing as a
thing apart from themselves. The jroung
College Grad who has the backing of sound
paternal advice investigates the Engineering
Profession, for example, as a thing apart.
Is it attractive? Is it healthful? Is it
lucrative? Will it lead to eminence; and,
last, of all comes the question from the
introspective viewpoint—“Do I possess the
right qualifications for its pursuit?” Not so
with the Vocal Student. He or his family
or friends or Sunday School Teacher heard
him sing a hymn tune or a college song or
a ballad and said to him “My, what a beau¬
tiful voice,” and after a few repetitions of
that kind is it reasonable to suppose {hat
he is any longer in his right mind?
It is difficult to follow the line of reas¬
oning that actuates the young persons who
become infatuated with the vocal ideas.
They as a rule violate all the traditions
of business, and follow instincts which lead
them in various directions at once. It will
be a joyful day in the singing world when
there are as many excellent singing artists
as there are excellent voices that could be
singers if rightly guided; and developed
Never Cease to Study
Teachers of singing never cease to be
students. If their pupils studied their vocal
problems with the same interest and con¬
centration that the Singing Teacher studies
his pupils, there could be no question of
their progress.
The reason that the teacher’s problem
requires so much study is because,, unlike
any other profession, the voice teacher
cannot work with a formula. A formula
cannot even be imagined that will make a
groove to which, all voices could be
adjusted.
It is impossible to expect a pgpil to
become an artist without meeting, certain
technical requirements.- It is the way the
requirements are met that dominate their
permanent value. There is a wide diverg¬
ence of opinion as to what really is essen¬
tial fundamentally. There are some who
attach no great value to the various group
forms and embellishments.
The closest attention should be given
them until they are a part of one. Two
fortunate results of this work are, readi¬
ness to present them fluently when occasion
arises and the smoothness and beauty of
tone resulting from much use of the light
tone employed in their practice.
Another point on which teachers differ
greatly is in the use of Vocalises. We
believe the right use of Vocalises to be (fie
most refining influence in developing musi¬
cal taste and character. To plunge unre¬
servedly-from written exercises and scales
iiito repertoire is to deprive the student of
one of the most important factors in the
development of his art. The vocal student
should have an intimate acquaintance with
juch composers as Batiste, Lemoine, Lut-
gen, Concone, Nava, Rossini, Louis Schu¬
bert, MarchqSi, Ponafka, Rubini, Bordogni;
all writers of Vocalises.
The writer cannot reiterate too em¬
phatically the importance of a gradual
growth of the vocal instrument, as against
the forcing process.
Let those, who estimate the qualities
known as endurance, permanence and
resistance, examine the vocalise repertoir’e,
and they will find hidden there much that
is conducive to vocal health and pros¬
perity.
Jennie Lind’s Renown
Readers of The Etude who reside in or
near any of the large cities of the country
have the opportunity of hearing modern
sopranos who are reputed to be great.
Unfortunately greatness is a term which so
far as singers are concerned, carries with
it no definite message. An artist whose
name has become familiar is often called
great, irrespective of the processes by
which the familiarity grew.
Present day advertising has been reduced
to a system (one might almost say a
science) the machinery of which can temp¬
orarily create a halo which will fit the head
of almost any grade of artist. Whether
the halo shall brighten or fade when the
publicity .machine ceases working, affords
a cue as to the greatness under consider¬
ation Is it the veneer of the advertiser or
the announcement of genuine art?
A teacher, a manager and the singer her¬
self may seem entirely justified in feeling
that she has a message so strikingly direct,
so beautiful, so artistic that the public will
greet her with acclaim. But the public sup¬
plies the prucial test. We cannot deceive
the “dear public.” Nor wiil the public
allow us tb deceive ourselves for any length
of time. . The public is the court of last
resort.
It is a difficult matter to convince some
singers that they are not artists. It may
be equally difficult to convince some artists
that they are not singers. The terms are
not necessarily inter-changeable.
While the manager can by artful adver¬
tising temporarily surround the singer with
an envelope of greatness, and even the
public places the seal of approval upon the
work, there is yet another factor that enters
into the problem of greatness, which might
be called the time test. If an artist’s repute
for greatness, survives the time test,
she is truly great. That means a page
6f history. Contemporary greatness is
a matter of comparison. This element of
greatness, whether it be in music, engineer¬
ing or finance, furnishes innumerable
examples of relative or comparative super¬
iority of one person over many others. This
may be accounted for in many ways; but
in the field of vocal music one quality can¬
not be disregarded, and that quality is
personality. Some call it magnetism, others
call it character. It may be a combination
of the three. But taken either as a whole
or in' part, there is no real singing great¬
ness without them.
This is a somewhat lengthy preamble
to a subject that is ever new and interest¬
ing to all young American students and
singers. Why is it that the name of Jenny
Lind is constantly brought forward and
held up as an ideal? Why is the pedestal
upon which she stands higher than that of
any other singer of which we hear ?
In answer we will say she has been
measured by the time test and her reputa¬
tion seems to increase in brilliancy rather
than fade, by being subjected to that test.
It is as true in art as in any other of life's
activities that nobility of soul and beauty
of character have as much to do with the
permanency of one’s- reputation as the
excellence of the art itself.
It is said that Hans Christian Anderson
through Jenny Lind first became sensible
to the holiness of art. Mendelssohn said she
was a member of the “Church Invisible.”
She experienced early the trials of the
struggling artist. At fourteen her voice
seemed to leave her, and Manuel Garcia,
her Parisian teacher, was very dubious
about her possibilities. Courage and indus¬
try were the deciding factors upon which
her future greatness was made possible.
Her greatest contemporary artist, Giulia
Grisi, who had held her in jealous hatred
and contempt, heard her in concert and
was melted to tears by the appealing charm
of her singing. We are indebted to the
Scandinavian Review for many interesting
facts concerning her first appearance in
America, which formed one of the most
brilliant chapters in the history of Amer¬
ican enthusiasm.
It is said that the longer she sang in
America the greater became her reputa¬
tion and that the newspapers were at a loss
for words to express their increasing
admiration for her art.
She was equally admired for her benevo¬
lence generosity and charm of disposition.
Following are some of the press com-
ments upon her singing :-“Her vocaliza¬
tion is beyond criticism,” “The echo sh P
produces in a Swedish Song is equaled only
Sriiw^d^^ 1 * the
derful and so beautiful that thTVho W
it lose all sense except of pleasure”
it is extremely doubtful if there are
any living today who had the pleasure of
& te, Lind , ,ta8 ta “* wm
States. But it is refreshing to read the
enthusiastic opinion of
period.
The following quotati
dimvian Review (it 1>
gives in a few words a
record of her achieve
serve as an inspiratioi
student of singing.
“Jenny Lind’s sojouri
fruitful in many ways,
a chain of charities iii
which orphans and sick
and healed. The rapt
created a criterion by
of every other artist 1
from that day to this,
her pure and noble
remained to music a
which the scandal and
the writers of the
being who heard her, h
to the hour of death as
sublime revelation of
ecstasy of music itself
America owes Jenny I
greater debt that has
nized. She brought tli
ment of America to coi
Her tour was the supr
national history when ;
dent, enthusiastic, imp
knew its own capacity
forever. From that h>
or denied the world's ;
have made pilgrimages
its own consciousness <
and temperament.”
The Try Out
If a singing master -diould attempt to
outline conditions that could be called ideal
in his own profession, the purpose being to
guide young teachers in their work, lie
would be at a loss where to begin. Since,
however, one could not accept a voice with¬
out trying it, let us first take up the lilies'
tion of diagnosing the case of an applies
for instruction.
Diagnosing the voice is a simple a c
indeed, if the judgment bearing on a career
could be formed from purely surface
exhibits. The first act of a voice would
n ' rom the Scan-
'ing a quotation)
fair and beautiful
nents. It should
to every young
in America was
I ler progress left
"iigh the land by
are still nurtured
ire of her music
which the success
■i- been measured
The tradition qf
womanhood Has
bulwark against
corruption of the
•rid has broken in
of every huirian
r singing has rung
be one perfect and
the beauty and
This is much. But
ind oije other and
never been recog-
mujical tempera-
iousness of itself,
me moment in our
\merica, ar-
--ihle, heard aqd
or musical feeling
ur it has received
: utest artists who
hither, supreme in
f its artistic needs
be hearing single sustained tones
a differ-
it parts of the voice, using different v<
of
give the teacher opportunity to judge
the quality of the voice, what the tendency
of tone emission is and some idea as
attack and truth of the ear as to pitch-
second act in the process might be tp -
an ascending and descending scale of
five to nine tones at different rates of sp ■
This with judicious transpositions, a
the teacher all he needs to know veaea
ately about the elasticity of the voice
the possibility of compass. „ try
The third and last feature of the
out” would be to hear the applicant
a few measures of a song (if he kr¬
one) or a ballad or hymn that he ^j s
from his church or school days,
gives opportunity to judge of the
n is ,
tendencies
the etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 605
in regard to breathing, phrasing and
fh Here we have an all sufficient voice test
that any young teacher can master by giving
thought to the sequence, and what he wishes
to learn of the applicant through the use of
it This formula is used with but few and
unimportant changes by all teachers.
It is what follows that concerns us. The
words spoken to the applicants or their
parents after this simple test has been made.
We now know what the voice is in the mat¬
ter of quality—what its needs are as to
method and attack, agility and compass,
phrasing, breathing and rhythm. Shall we
tell the would-be student that she has a
voice, or no hopes of a voice, or that she
can surely become an artist of rank? If
ffie teacher wishes to maintain her dignity
and standing in the profession he will do
neither. He will say—“Conditions seem to
favor the wisdom of making the experi¬
ment. Your voice is not as good as many
who have had high hopes of a career and
failed, and is better than many who receive
no .encouragement at the start, but realize
the fullest -success.” i b.
The teacher who has had experience is
Slow in giving positive or definite encour¬
agement. The reason is that so many fac¬
tors are to be taken into account, quite
independent of the ones just mentioned.
They could not be- determined by the above
simple tests. When brought to the sur¬
face by the actual experience of study,
errors leading to a great injustice may be
discovered.
It is difficult in writing of the above to
exercise a spirit of patience with some mod¬
ern teachers. The kindest thing that can be
said of them being that they are extremely
optimistic in regard to their ability to place
voices in the front rank in the Operatic
Profession. An advertisement came to our
notice, the other day, of a teacher who
calmly guarantees that those who study
with him shall accomplish in six months
what they would be able to accomplish
with other teachers in six years, because he
has discovered secrets that the average
unsophisticated singing master has over¬
looked, in the matter of training voices.
That such claims result in bringing busi¬
ness cannot be denied. An apt'comparison
as to the value of singing developed along
these lines can be found in the cabinet¬
maker’s shop. The chair that is labeled for
sale at six dollars stands next to one that
is marked at sixteen dollars. They seem
much alike; but a careful examination
shows them to be entirely different in every
particular. The supreme test of this value
being endurance. It is inconceivable that
an athlete who goes into the races without
first becoming hard through much careful
training, should stand up under the stress
of contest, as w.ell as the man who had
been carefully coached.
The musical profession will await the
results of these six months of training
with great interest. “Art is long, and time
is fleeting,” we are told. If we read the
litfes of the great painters and sculptors of
the. past, we are impressed with the fact
that their progress was often very slow.
Leonardo da Vinci worked for years mak¬
ing sketches of every imaginable object—
trying to develop his technique. Instru¬
mentalists work for years before they con¬
sider that they have any proficiency what¬
ever. We must estimate proportionately
the demands of a singing artist, considering
the work needed in a purely musicianly
way, familiarity -with an instrument, abil¬
ity to read, at sight, as well as the knowl¬
edge of the lyric diction of at least two
or three languages, not to mention a care¬
ful cultivation of histrionic ability. He
must be able to make his audience feel what
he is trying to express. We must do one
of two things—either admit that singing is
not an art alongside of painting, writing,
sculpture, or disregard the assertion that
a singer can be made in six months.
Three Vocal Enemies
By Arthur de Guichard
Female voices should reduce their' so-
called “chest register” to the strictest mini¬
mum. Their organs are not constructed for
this register. They would do well, there¬
fore, to observe this very concise formula:
Contralto the least possible; Mezzo-soprano
very little; Soprano not at all. Most writ¬
ers and teachers of singing are agreed in
recognizing the fact that the number of
voices broken by the abusS of the so-called
chest register is very considerable. Mel-
chissedec, formerly chief baritone at the
Grand Opera, Paris (France) for a great
number of years, and afterwards professor
of singing at the Paris Conservatory, whose
professional singing career embraced a
period of fifty-one years (1862-1913) and
who, at the age of seventy-two could sing
and did sing two or three hours daily, is
most biting in his satirical condemnation of
the “chest voice” and of the “head voice.
After recounting the meteor-like careers of
artists, such as Nourrit (who had a “chest”
high D), Mile. Falcon, and others whose
beautiful voices had but short lives, Mel-
,chissedec relates an amusing detail^ in the
life of Grassini. This'singer had a “power¬
ful and extensive contralto with a power
of light and finished execution rarely found
with that kind of voice.” At the age of
seventy-six she took part in a soiree given
Musical
Jenny Lind had at least her share of
those extravagant compliments that cotrie
to gifted people. After hearing her sing,
.Lablache generously assured her that
“Every note was a pearl.”
At a rehearsal soon after this incident,
the young singer asked of the great basso
that she might have his hat. Retir.ng to
to a- fellow-professional at the Conserva¬
tory. Asked to sing, she interpreted a very
fine Italian aria, : in which were many notes
well above the treble cleff. A snob—they
already existed at that epoch, but they were
termed otherwise—approached and, w th the
idea that he was paying her a compliment,
said to her: “Ah, Madame, how admirably
you sing; all the more so because you do
not use your chest voice!” Grassin', who
had never been able to get rid of her
Neapolitan, pronounciation, replied: "La
voce di poitrinc! qu’cquc cc cd?” (Chest
voice, what's that? “Why, this!” and the
snob shouted out a strong,chest note. “Ah!
malhcurcux," said she, “ni faitc pas cd.
t oils aites voits abiwe Id voce!” (Ah!
unhappy man; don’t do that; you will ruin
your voice!) Without knowing it she had
never sung with a “chest voice!”
Thus the singer may see that the voice
has three mortal enemies: Catarrh, Chest
Notes and Constriction; and the greatest of
these three is Constriction (tight throa').
Chest notes assuredly lead to Constriction,
which, if taken in time, may be cured by
complete rest and re-posing the voice; but
the cure is not certain.
The catarrh remedy is here; all that
remains to be done, is to apply it persever-
ingly and faithfully.
Gushers
the back of the stage, she sang a light
air into the broad-brimmed hat. Then
approaching Lablache she ordered that he
fall on bended knee while she had a
valuable token to bestow. Then return¬
ing the hat .she said slyly: “I will
now make you extremely rich by return¬
ing your hat full of your own brand of
There is constant danger
in an oily skin
I F your skin has the habit of continually getting
oily and shiny—you caftnot begin too soon to
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. A certain amount of oil in your skin is necessary
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A skin that is too oily is constantly liable to infec¬
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formation of blackheads, and other skin troubles
that come from outside infection.
You can correct an oily skin by using each night
the following simple treatment:
tt tITH warm water work up a heavy lather of
W Woodbury’s Facial Soap in your hands.
Apply to your face and rub it into the pores
thoroughly—always with an upward and outward
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piece of ice.
'Special treatments for each type of skin
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pf Woodbury ? s Facial Soap.
Get a cake of Woodbury’s today, at any
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A 25-cent cake of Woodbury s lasts for
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“ Your treatment for one week ”
S END 25 cents for a dainty miniature set of
the Woodbury skin preparations containing
the treatment booklet, “A Skin You Love to
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cf Woodbury’s Facial
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Copyright, 1 Ml, by The Andrew Jergens CX .
Flsaso mention THE ETUDE when addressing our advertise.s.
Page G06 SEPTEMBER 1921
Schomacker
Style F Grand
The quality of its tone
enraptures the heart
as its beauty of con¬
struction delights the
Schomacker Piano
Company
PHILADELPHIA, PA.
D. A. CLIPPINGER
SSS'KaHE Ll ““:: ! !i
W.P. SHILLING
Tenor book, part I, free.
Verdi’s “Aida”
asked" t a o Ve de S t e erminf"which of"'verdi’s i/lWw’hen Egypt was alive with the
famous works was his greatest, might pos- completion of the Suez Canal. There,
sibly decide between Othello 'and Falstaff ; behind^ skilfully contrived gril^the^Sul-
combiiied H V e nli’s Aida] s unquestionably oper^ ° Through political troubles in
his masterpiece. It was in this work France, brought about by the War, the
manner tL^LenceVthe German grinfi 1871 VecS^thT Verdi conducted
Wanner, without copying him. It is an it in Milan, at La Scala, in 1872. It was
infinitely bigger Verdi than that of Trova- given at the Academy of Music in New
tore and Rigoletto, but a Verdi with all York, in 1873. Annie Louise Carey, Cam-
the sensuous charm of spontaneous mel- panini and Maurel were in the cast. The
Verdi had had ample oppbrtunity to study with Caruso i
the success of his Teutonic rival and, Aida, greatly i.
It is not known whether the story is of
of Bey, Oriental origin, but it is believed that
had bestowed upon him the title of Bey,
and known as Mariette Bey, was one of
the .foremost antiquarians and Egyptolo- Oriental character which the master
gists of his day. He had discovered the adapted to his uses. That he understood
him P was given the commisrioi'of writing IpProxi^tdy-
a spectacular pageant for the new Italian C-D-E flat
Theatre in Cairo, built by the Khedive
e the great Verdi write a work espe- . The opera has been sen:
___of MSS. great master! "vlrd" a^ked^LMO pounds s^ch “nuXrTas 1 ^" 4 ^
A SPECIALTY sterling for the work. The Khedive paid Celeste Aida Ritorn
A. W. BORST, Presser Bldg., Phila., Pa. 100,000 francs for the rights of c
ier Bldg., rhlla., Vt>. 100,000 francs for the rights of original mia , O Terra Addio are known in a
rtanororu,** Pure*Music production. Mariette wrote the plot, million homes through the ever oooular
— Camille du Locle made it into a French talking machine records. P i
THE ETUDE
❖ SUMMY’S CORNER *
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Little pieces with words that tell a
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For the intermediate grades and for
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L
the etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 607
THE ETUDE
Page 60S SEPTEMBER 1921
____ ■ - ^ » * ) t!
— --
' ——— ; - . -
Department for Organists
Edited by Well-Known Specialists
‘Let the Base of Heaven's Deep Organ Blo«."-U . l t o n
and springy that Dr. Camidge, though a
powerful man, was quite unable to control
it. In a letter to Mr. Barker, Dr. Camidge
expressed himself as follows: “With all
the energy I can rally about me I am some¬
times inclined to make a full stop from
actual fatigue. . Such a difficult touch as
Chafes Spackman mrKer was Dorn ar ^ q{ York Cathedral organ is doubtless
Bath, October 10, 1806. When only five tQ ~ paralize the effor ts of most
years of age he had the misfortune to lose „
his father who was an artist the younger ® commenced to make
of three brothers, all of whom followed wit1l fl view t0 devising some
The Inventor of the Pneu¬
matic Action
By T. W. Hinton
Charles Spackman Barker was born :
Making Sunday School Sing¬
ing Interesting
By C. Harold Lowden
a well known composer of
How many schools are blessed with
competent leaders ? Probably
forty per cent.
, experiments with a vie
tne same profession. ' means by which org;
It was the boys good fortune to be f(tf SQme dme trying -
adopted by his godfather and moreover ud | ize d]e power G f compressed air in
to receive an excellent education. From cylinders provided with pistons, but after
a very early age he showed an inherited many attempts j n t his direction he came to
gift for drawing and evinced great interest realize that the ' lateral friction of a piston . -
in natural science and chemistry. Un- was a i most prohibitive unless wird of a rather than a leader, that new s g
fortunately his godfather was unable to pressure greater than was ever dreamed of ’ J ' r ™“ *" ' v ' nm
see anything in the pursuit of such attain- at tda t time were used—and, abandoning
ments other than an unworthy trifling with the cylinders, he employed small bellows,
higher advantages and in consequence or “motors” as we should now call them.
Barker was removed from school rather This attempt was satisfactory, resulting nounce the same old dozen or so songs
prematurely and apprenticed to an apothe- in the production of a primitive type of until the school gets so tired of them it
cary and chemist at Bath. pneumatic lever. Barker then approached simply refuses to sing at all.
It has been stated that Barker was for a Messrs. Hill, showing them how he had j believe at least one new song should
time a medical student but, throughout a solved the difficulty which had marred j )e i earne d each session. Better still, if
period of seven years during which I was their best organsYork . Minster and ten m j nutes C ould be spared some time
acquainted with him, I cannot recall any Birmingham Town Hall. Dr. Pole ( Irca- duri thg session and could be designated
4 ... .. , . .i • Hen m Munrnl Instruments, o. 77) deals .. „__■ , „ __..in
What about the
touch might be balance? They are getting along some¬
how, and probably learning as many new
songs as their more fortunate neighbors.
It is too often the fault of an incom¬
petent or thoughtless superintendent,
:her than a leader, tha
t learned. Time and again complaint
_s been made that while fully one-third
of the songs in a book have never been
tried, a superintendent will continue to an-
“In the first instance he (Barker) endeav-
song period,” the scholars would
know what to expect, and I am confident
would respond with enthusiasm.
I doubt if we can lay down
statement.
r; % 'r du “
his lips one Sunday in Pans, when we Englland. Experience m g s rules by which all schools may be governed
were sheltering from the rain under a then totally wto “ in this matter, but I think all will agree
1 agree
that a good player is essential, and fortun-
- - - . valii^ nf the ately there are few schools that cannot
« 5 — ——
happily obsolete); and their howls and P atent ,n 1839> and
blood-curdling screams used
a little.
and upset him not
When it came to his lot to learn the
“butchering business”, as he facetiously
termed it, he refused point blank and thus
friction between himself and his master
commenced which culminated in his leaving
before he was “out-of his
Two years afterwards v
scribed as an organdJuill
fortunately, the best player is not always
used, but because of jealousy, politics in the
other reason,
French is kept out of service, while a less com-
,_ .. afterwards the petent player is “murdering” everything
unnerve pneumatic lever was applied with the attempted,
greatest success to the organ at St. Denis.
—From The Stoi-y of the Electric Organ.
The Baby Organist
Possibly one of the most astonishing
instances i:
Wfijjanf Crotch, pi
..„ j. - ,a, c , .tuuwn, William Crotch, Mus. Doc.
returned to his native city after sperffling This child was born at Norwich, England,
in London most of the time which had ; n 177S H ; s f at h er was a carpenter who
intervened. Some biographical notices state was mds ; ca i enough to have built an organ
that during the period in question Barker for himse if The child commenced to
Learning a New Song
In teaching a new song, I first insist
upon the undivided attention of the school
while the accompanist carefully plays it
H_ o through. If there are any particular in-
instances in history of musical precocity structions concerning phrasing, emphasis,
jk-- ^ that,, Of WtUiani Crotch, pr as he was or difficult time, I give them, hnd then
. :8 [feter known, William Crotcn,
had learned organ building at the shop of
an eminent organ builder in London; but
here two questions arise:' (1) Who was
the eminent builder? and (2) Was
play upon this instrument when
baby, at the age of two. At the age of
four he gave daily organ recitals in Lon-
He had the gift of absolute pitch.
possible to thoroughly learn organ building It should be rerne mbered that Mozart’
father did not begin to teach his child
> years, especially for anyone
previously skilled in joinery ?
There is evidently a break in the con¬
tinuity of the records we possess which
we can only note, pending the attaiiiment
of information, bearing thereon.
It was when an “organ-builder” at Bath
that Barker heard of the difficulty which
Dr. Camidge experienced in playing the "j n y 0U w m
newly constructed brgan at York Minster, personal benefit there
The touch of this instrument was so heavy able .’’— Ruskin.
usually sing it straight through with the
school. Sometimes I vary this by teaching
a chorus first, particularly if I know an
attractive chorus will “swing” a more
difficult verse. Usually I sing the first
verse twice, each time calling attention to
anything that needs it, and sometimes it is
well to sing a chorus three or four times,
but I think it unwise to keep at one song
until the school becomes tired.
Time and again circumstances develop
until he was four years old. In later ^at require instant attention, and „, >U j
years he became one of the most distin- timcs Plans must be quickly changed to
guished of England’s musicians and even- meet the occasion. A real leader is al-
tually the principal of the Royal Academy Y ays r ® ady for any emergency and many
of Music (1822). time f his success is dependent on his
quick thinking and his ability to grasp
an unusual situation and make the
“In nmne vnu 7tiill snnn find out what best.of it. At all times there must be
i being service- manifested a spirit of optimism, but it
must be real and not assumed, for a
bluffer is soon detected and might as
well give up when he is discovered.
It is my contention that it is entirely
out of place in Sunday School to have
a "bellowing bull,” or a 'jumping jack”
to show off, or conduct a cheap vaude¬
ville performance. The music should
be a wonderful means of worship, and
the leader should simply direct that wor¬
ship by starting the song, calling atten¬
tion to some particularly striking though)
of the words or beauty •<( the music,
keeping every scholar interested, and at
all times striving to drive h tne the mes¬
sage of the song, rather than to im¬
press upon .them his own accomplish¬
ments. Some leaders forget that they
are (here to lead others in singing instead
of showing off their own voices. A leader
should not fail to catch die spirit of
the song, the message of which he de¬
sires to impress upon tho-c he is lead¬
ing. The composer has given a message
which he wishes conveyed. Many times an
entirely different meaning is given. Study
the song and give proper emphasis to the
points as they impress you. Tempo is a
study in itself. Some leaders seem unable
tc judge the time in which a song should
be sung by the nature and subject of
the song. Many songs are perfect gems
if kept up to the time, while their ef¬
fectiveness is entirely lost by dragging.
Then there are songs which are wonder¬
fully impressive if sung slowly and com¬
pletely spoiled if taken quickly.
Competent Leadership
Some of my readers ma> contend that
I have lost sight of the incompetent
leader, and that my article is rather
stressing the competent leader. I don’t
believe there are many really incompe¬
tent leaders; that is, incompetent in the
sense that they are not willing to learn.
I believe the most untrained leader has
within him the possibilities of com¬
petent leadership, and in this article I
have tried to put before him sugges¬
tions that I believe will help him to
measure up. He may not now be doing
the things I have suggested, but the
man with a fairly good voice, a genuine
loVe of rtuisic and ,of children, a pleasing
smile ahd common, ordinary ‘‘horse-
sense” cah become a really good leader.
Music is taught in most of the public
schools, and this makes it much easier
to teach new music in the Sunday-schools,
and for this reason, if I were a superin¬
tendent of a school I would be more in¬
terested in getting a leader with rea
religion and common sense than ou -
standing musical ability. That does no
mean that I do not stand for capa e
musicians in Sunday-school work, for
would pay good money any time for a
spiritual, tactful musician with an a
tractive personality; however, this eP®'
bination is sometimes difficult to find, an
if I couldn’t have the ideal, I woU d
lay emphasis upon spirituality and goo
fairly
Given the right kind of gongs, a
good accompanist, the opportunity
the etude
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SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 609
(AUSTIN ORGAN
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, , .. , he be a superintendent, chorister, pianist,
the learning of new music. &f teacher> shou i d be tactfully ap-
Perhaps before closing it might be proac h e d, and with the kindest possible
well to express my conviction that the explanation, should be replaced. From
efficiency of a school should not be sacri- The Sunday School Times.
The Pastor’s Viewpoint
By Rev. Henry B. Hudson
I respond to the article in the “Depart- Our churches are sufficiently tormented
ment for Organists” in the February with new publications contmmng ten or a
Etude with a few words in behalf of. the dozen fak hymns with 100 to o
ministers who are often given “the jim miscalled Gospel Hymns, with tunes that
jams” by the over zealous organists. If, would disrupt a Chinese rjursery and words
as the writer suggested, ministers should that would disgrace a lunatic asylum. And
be given a musical training (and it is when an organist turns loose a ! ™ sl
desirable), then, also, organists surely diatribe that would discourage a gathering
should be given a course of Bible study, of Kilkenny cats, the provocation o
that they might better understand an organ- justify^ the minister in a ayl g
ists place in a church service. Far from hands.
being the “chief cook and bottle washer,” Another modern abomination to which
the organist is not indespensable. organists might profitably devote some
Indeed, there is grave reason to question remedial attention is the soloist who sings
the wisdom of turning three-fourths of as ^ overcome with stage tig K
the time devoted to a Christian church many otherwise fine voices are . r ^ ^
service over to a Christless orgAnist and a that trembling tone which is mistaken for
Godless choir. “What concord has Christ an accomplishment by some near-musicians
with' Belial; or what part hath he that Suppose an organ should develope a hxed
believeth with an infidel?” tremolo habit how long before the organist
A chrisS ctarch 1 not a concert hall, would yell for a tuner? Yet ^
nor were its methods designed to be congregat.on are ^ c t ed f 0 Slt ' n p,aC ? ld
chiefly musical; as a reference to the contentment while that type of a singer (.)
Divine institution and commission of the murders a hymn. -
church will show. Then how little short While about it, I may as well hit him
of impertinence are all assumptions of again” and call attention to the number
authority by organists ahd choirs to control of organists who mistake noise for music,
the order and conduct of any chtfrch The soft accompaniment that permits the
service. clear sweet tones of the singer s voice to
Since the pastor is everywhere held re- dominate is an unknown art to that large
sponsible for the success or failure of a class of organists who regard a solo as a
church under his ministry, why should an feeble accompaniment to the thunder of
organist expect to select the hymns to' be the organ. The result is about as uplifting
sung any more than the text and theme of an exercise as a pup chasing a railroad
the sermon? Every successful minister train; his jaw can be seen to be working,
chooses the hymns for his service with as but his voice is lost in the roar of the tram,
great care as is given to the choice of a One closing thought regardmg the com-
text for the sermon; for they are as im- parative value in CHURCH bEKVlCUb
portant and useful. And rarely can the of the so-called classical music and the
| music be the determining factor as is simpler tunes so widely used in Christian
usually the case when left to an organist, worship. An experience of over forty
How frequently has the writer, when years ; n t be ministry, many of them in the
invited to supply for a Sunday some ,y ef city 0 £ tb ; s coun t ry> and extending
neighboring church, been handed a selection fyom ^ Atlantic to the Padfic> has left
of hymns by the organist with the coo unansw£redj from the organ j st c s vie w-
ZSFA 5 r« St 52 52 *** «•
unknown to the congregation while the attend day after day two. service^-at ten
words would be a fitting accompaniment and two o’clock—sometimes held in a
to an address on “Hair oil as a Fertilizer prominent church on Fifth Avenue (not
for Bald headed Organists.” during Lent) where the music played by a
If organists would leave the selection of widely known organist and sung by the
hymns with the minister where it belongs, congre g a tion was the simple gospel hymns;
and devote more effort to training the choir wbde yeal - a f be r year the regular Sunday
to sing them intelligently with a distinct serv ; ces j n tbe same c h U rch with the music
enunciation, there would be less justice in confined tQ an organist ’ s ideal of “high
the common crFic'sm ffiat rnost cho.rs sing ^ finds ^ ^ ^ paft j y fil le d '’.,
in an unknown tongue because naraiy a o . r „„ cr , n ’>
word can be understood by the listeners. Yet There is a reason .
H«/ r
Go
If
Printers
The Treatme nt of Hymn Tunes
By William Reed
The Organ accompaniment to hymT _ The Playing Over
ones should be not only appropriate, but al- First the organist should read through
o interesting and subtly impelling. Some- .he text he is to accompany. This habit,
thing can be done with most tunes, and a| once acquired, will enable him at a glance
studious consideration of the ways and, and with a moment s thought to formulate
means available will, if judiciously applied, a general scheme which later can be devel-
repay effort in this direction. _
A general review of what is c
may be thus summarized
ITEMIZED "PRICE LlsfTndSAMPLES
THE MUSIC SUPPLEMENT OF THIS MAGAZINE IS PUNTED BT US
\Wim-TD US ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS UNE >
PHILADELPHIA, PA.' ,
(a) A sympathetic
maintained.
(b) Variety of registration within cer¬
tain limits.
(c) Considerations as to Touch, Accent,
Use of Pedal, etc.
(d) Such reinforcement on occasion as
will assist and uphold the pitch.
,■ „ part harmony, and
atmosphere, well t n the case of unfai
oped and varied.
Second, in announcing a tune, it is well
to play it exactly as written, viz. in four-
_iart harmony, and as clearly as possible.
In the case of unfamiliar tunes, the melody
is best played solo-wise. Sometimes, other-
,wise, (and provided its construction per¬
mits) it is sufficient to play over merely
the two last lines of a familiar tune.
The pedal helps to emphasize a robust
tune: ordinarily, reserved,, its entrance
later will enchance the effect, as well as
arrest the attention.
PHILIPSBORN’S _
Dept. 121, Chicago
| postpaid.
I Name -
I AM*,
unflincWnEfe
organist to stimulate and control the smg
ine of large congregations.
A good effect is obtained by sometimes
nlavine the concluding lines of a u
Individual Stanzas
To ensure a good start, the registration
of the first stanza should be of a general,
hearty nature, due attention also being
given to emphasis and a non-legato touch.
As the hymn proceeds, these means may be
somewhat relaxed, but they should be
again resorted to if the singing drags or
't h droos And all this is to be done
TIIE ETUDE
Reinforcements, etc.
Reinforcement may be effected by:—
(a) The Swell and Crescendo Pedals
(b) A temporary doubling of the inner
(c) The addition of 8', 4', and (rarely)
16' registers. It should be noted
that 2' registers should be avoided in
hymn playing.
The following will serve as illustrations.
The doubling of the melody an octave
higher is useful once in a while, but it is
device to be witheld as a general rule.
Sudden effects of cresc. and dim. are of
no particular use. They arc apt to create
a halting and irritating effect.
The Tremolo is best avoided. Its atmos¬
phere is cheap, and it interferes with the
nitfh •
THE etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 611
New Musical Books Reviewed.
Reflections of a Musician. By F. Marion Dictionary of Musical Compositions and
Cloth bound. 73 pages Published Composers. By W. Edmund Quarry. Cloth
L Sard G. Badger. Price, $2.00. . bound, 192 pages. Published byE P.Dut-
by A musician of attainments in professional ton & Co., at $2.00.
ti#s given us not a treatise on how to A book that should be in every musician’s
11 niive fame in the art, but how to make the library, whethei student oi professional It
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Page 612 SEPTEMBER 1921
THE ETUDE
* a
'•i
J
r fg|j
mAj
Department for Violinists
Edited by ROBERT BRAINE
.. /, All Would Ploy Fin t Violin We Could Get No Orchestra Together.”- R. SCHUMANN
The Violinist Should Study
the Piano
A correspondent asks if it is “necessary
to; study the piano in order to become a
successful violinist.”
While many violin students do not study
the piano; they would become better
violinists if they did. The violin is pri¬
marily a melody instrument, and the vio¬
linist who studies the violin alone, fails to
get the complete idea of compositions.
The piano is complete in itself, and a
student who studies such an instrument
naturally gets a broader and more complete
knowledge of music, than one who studies
a single part.
Many of the most famous concert
violinists of the day are excellent pianists
as well, and it is safe to say that almost
all of them have a fair working knowledge
■ of the piano. Some time ago a concert was
given in New York, in which a number
of famous violinists participated. They
took turns in playing the piano accompan¬
iments for each others’ solos, adding very
much to the interest of the occasion.
The young violin student who is destined
for the profession, should not fail to
study the piano as well. Studying the two
instruments, it is surprising how one helps
the other, and how rapidly the young
violinist progresses on both instruments.
As an instance of this, I remember the case
of Francis Macmillen, the well known
American concert violinist, whom I had
the honor of instructing for the first four
years of his studies. He was an enthusi¬
astic student of the piano, in addition to
the violin, and when he was nine years of
age was almost as proficient a pianist as
violinist At that early age I remember
that he gave a public recital, lasting an
hour and a half, the first half of the pro¬
gram consisting of solo works for the
piano, and the latter half of violin solos.
He received equal applause for his work
on both instruments He is still a capable
pianist.
Another advantage which accrues to the
violinist, who is an expert pianist as well,
is that of being able to study the accom¬
paniments to his violin pieces, and figure out
the most effective ways of playing them.
If he is an expert and artistic pianist who
understands the piano playing thoroughly,
he can then instruct his accompanist as to
how he wishes the accompaniment to be
played. Only the kings in the profession
of violin playing can afford, to employ
great accompanists, who understand their
professions thoroughly. The value of a
good accompanist cannot be overestimated.
Many of the European violinists in their
world tours, take an accompanist with
them, being unwilling to trust to picking
uo local accompanists in the countries they
visit. The late Pablo Sarasate, the famous
Soanish violinist, had as his accompanist
Mme. Bertha Marx, and she accompanied
him in all his world tours. Almost all the
other great violinists have their favorite
accompanists, who from long continued
co-operation know their style, and their
ideas of all the compositions in their
repertoire.
Lesser violinists have to rely on all sorts
of accompanists, and it is a distinct advan-.
tage if they have enough pianistic ability
to give their accompanists the proper ideas
as to just how the accompaniments should
be played, and how to bring out the
various effects in them.
The violin teacher is under a heavy dis¬
advantage if he cannot play the piano.
After a student has worked out the technic
of a violin composition reasonably well,
his progress in . fully mastering .it, is
wonderfully accelerated, by having his
teacher occasionaly play the piano accom¬
paniment with him. He hears the ac¬
companying, harmony, the counter melo¬
dies, and all the various effects as a
whole, as the composer intended them;
and he grasps the idea of the composition
in half the time that we would if he
played the violin part without hearing the
accompaniment. The pupil also enjoys
his lesson much better if his teacher can
play the piano parts to his solo work. I
have not the slightest doubt that the violin
teacher who is also a skillful pianist, can
get and hold from SO to 100 per cent more
pupils, than the teacher who cannot play
the piano.
Piano playing to the violin teacher be¬
comes doubly useful when he gives a
pupils’ recital. If the teacher plays the
accompaniments, the pupils will play twice
as well as they would with a strange
accompanist, because the teacher plays the
tempos exactly as he has taught them to
the pupil, and all the expression, nuances,
and the conception of the compositions
are the same. In addition the teacher can
follow his pupils better and can cover up
little slips which they are certain to make.
Last and probably the most important of
all is the confidence the pupil feels with
his teacher at the piano, making him much
less likely to suffer from stage fright or
nervousness.
Another important advantage to the
violinist, of playing the piano, is the fact
that it gives him another source of income,
if necessary. Many violin teachers, espe¬
cially in the smaller towns, teach the piano
as well. Then there is the chance of play¬
ing piano with small orchestras, or if he
has studied the organ as well, of playing
the organ in church. I have known many
violinists, who would have had to give up
the profession alogether, if they had relied
on the violin alone, but who were able to
make a comfortable income by eking out
their earnings from the violin by piano
teaching and playing.
There are not a few conservatories,
where it is obligatory to study the piano,
no matter what other instrument one is
making his principle study. This seems to
me an excellent idea. The violin student
studying for the profession will find it
of the greatest possible advantage, to gain
as thorough and comprehensive knowledge
of the piano as he possibly can.
Little Hints
W hen a steel E string has been put on,
and there is a surplus length at the peg,
this surplus end of the string should not
be left sticking straight out from the
string box, as the end is sharp as a needle
and is apt to prick the fingers when the
violin is tuned. It is best to cut the sur¬
plus end of the string off with a pair of
wire clippers, and then bend the end of the
wire into a little loop which sticks down
into the string box, out of the way.
A System for the Study of
Whole and Half Steps in
Violin Playing
By James Mercer
The scale of C major, the model upon
which all other major scales are con¬
structed, has five whole steps and two nan
A whole step consists of a chromatic
and a diatonic half-step When spaced
upon the finger-board of the violin,
twice the distance of the ha f ' s ^
The half-steps in the scale, coming be
tween E-F and B-C or degrees 3-4 and
7-8 are the most important feature of the
scale; and form the basis upon which this
article is written. .
Referring to the scale of C major, the
brackets show F and C as half-steps, and
these half-steps being only half the dis¬
tance of whole steps, F and C are tail¬
ing tones,” or tones played one half-step
'°As”all major scales are constructed upon
the same plan of whole and half-steps, one
rule will answer for all; e. g., the fingers
which take the fourth and eighth degrees,
of any major scale, “must fall” (must be
played one half-step lower).
halt step half step
The Minor Scale
Taking the scale of A minor and ar¬
ranging it below its relative major, we find
both scales having identically the same
and the falling tones of C major become
the falling tones in A minor, only appear¬
ing upon different degrees of the scale;
e. g., 2-3 and 5-6, and are played one half¬
step lower.
The minor scale also appears in two
other forms,' called harmonic and melodic;
but these have one or more of their tones
altered; c. g., .
4 Harmonic
But these altered notes do not chan
the fundamental rule. In the harmoi
scale, C and F fall one half-step and G#
is an altered or raised note. In the me¬
lodic scale C falls one half-step and F#
and Git are altered or raised notes.
Transposition
The same principles apply in transpos¬
ing from one key to another ; e. g.,
The falling tones of G major become
the falling tones in E flat major, or half¬
steps. All other tones arc whole steps.
A thorough study of these falling tones,
which appear in all scales, and the princi¬
ple may be applied to any music, will
prove of the greatest benefit, both in re¬
gard to purity of intonation and a more
comprehensive understanding of the pecu¬
liarities of the instrument.
Imitative Violin Music
There has always been much discussion
among critics as to how far a composer
could go in distinctly imitative music with¬
out transgressing the rules of good art.
Such music is called “program” music.
The great variety of sound- which can be
made on the violin, causes composers to use
this instrument for imitating a vast number
of sounds in nature and life. There is a
great sameness in the tones of other instru¬
ments, but the violin can be played not only
with the bow, but the strings can be played
pissicato, giving effects like the harp
or guitar, or other similar instruments.
Then the use of natural and artificial
harmonics giving effects like the flute,
flageolet, the horn, and other wind instru¬
ments, opens up a vast range of sounds,
quite different from the ordinary tones
of the violin. Imitative effects of this
character are freely and legitimately em¬
ployed by composers in writing violin solo
music, and the violin parts in orchestral
compositions.
H. Leonard, the well known French
composer and violinist, went a step further
when he wrote his well known “Scenes
fHumoristhucs, Op 61, five descriptive
pieces”. These pieces are as follows: Coq
et Poules (Rooster and Hens), Au Fonds
des Bois (In the dark Woods), Chaffeft
Souris (Cat and Mice), L’Anc ct V Amec
(Donkey and Driver), Serenade du Laftn
Belliquex (Serenade of the martia
Rabbit).
These pieces are written in a humorous
vein, and are all directly imitative as their
titles would suggest. In the Donkey_ an
Driver, the “hee-haw” and braying of t e
donkeys are imitated. At one point it is
indicated to bow on the tail-piece, the bow
then glancing off to the short ends of tn
string between the bridge and the ta '
piece. This imitates the braying of
donkey in the manner of vaudeville tn
violinists, who imitate the grunting of P'S ’
the braying of donkeys, etc., in this way-
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 613
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In the Rooster and Hens we have imi¬
tations of the cackling of fowls, and in the
Cat and Mice, the rushes of the cat, and
squeaking of the mice.
With an ordinary audience these pieces
are of course immensely popular and
effective; for if there is anything which
people who have not had a musical educa¬
tion dearly love, it is imitative and descrip¬
tive music.
Of the above series of descriptive pieces
the “Serenade of the Martial Rabbit”, is
probably the most artistic. It can be used
on good programs, as a novelty, and never
fails to create a sensation, if well played.
Leonard got the idea for the composition
from one of the mechanical toys,—in this
case a warlike rabbit—which are so popu¬
lar in France. The piece opens with the
rabbit playing the drum, represented by a
series of chords struck by the stick of the
bow instead of the hair (col legno, as it
is marked).
This illustration represents the drum¬
ming of the rabbit and is played with the
wood (back) of the bow and not with
the hair. The three notes slurred to¬
gether should be played with the bound¬
ing bow. While these chords are being
played, the piano plays a pleasing melody.
The rabbit is then supposed to play the
bugle, and then a march movement in
double stops. The composition ends with
the same drumming effect, with the back
of the bow, and an imitation of the spring
(in the clockwork by which the toy is
operated) stopping.
These compositions are quite extensively
used in France, and it is surprising that
they are not used more generally by
American teachers, as novelties; since they
always can be calculated upon to delight
mixed audiences. American editions of
these pieces are available.
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A correspondent sends a passage taken
from the Fifth \Air Varii by Dancla, and
asks how it can be most effectively bowed.
There is only one way to bow this pass¬
age, and that is with ricochet bowing as it
is marked. The word ricochet means
bouncing or bounding. This bowing is
best done near the middle of the bow
where the stick best responds. The bow
is thrown lightly on the string so that it
will rebound as pulled along (down bow
in the example) thus making the two
thirty-second notes. A very small amount
of bow is used where only two notes are
played; an inch or two is all that is neces¬
sary. Many fail in learning to execute
this stroke because they hold the bow down
on the string after the first note, thus pre¬
venting it from rebounding, which it will
do, like a rubber ball if given the chance.
Ricochet bowing can be performed with
either down or up bow; but it is much
easier with the down bow. Care must be
taken to give the notes their proper value,
many players failing to acquire sufficient
control over this bowing to play passages
in correct time. It should be practiced on
the open strings at first. Two, three, four,
or more notes should be practiced with
this bowing. The illustration of a stone
skipping several times on the surface of
the water when skilfully thrown, often
gives the student a mental picture of this
bowing.
The wrist does not consciously control
each note in a ricochet passage, as the
notes are produced solely by the rebound¬
ing of the bow. Constant practice will
enable the violin student to control the
rapidity of this rebounding.
The student usually gets his first idea of
this bowing by playing the two notes to be
played ricochet very slowly, lifting the
bow off the string between the notes.
Having thus obtained an idea of the direc¬
tion of each stroke, he can try throwing
the bow down’ on the string and letting it
rebound. The bow must be pulled along,
otherwise the rebounds cannot be made.
Passages in ricochet where the notes (as
in the example) are the same, are much
easier than where a different finger must
be used each time the rebounding bow
strikes the string. A passage of this kind
is given below.
The bow is thrown on the open string E
with the down stroke. It rebounds and as
it strikes the string the second time, the
first finger must be in place on the E
String to make the note F sharp. As the
bow strikes the string the third time the
second finger must be in place to make the
note G sharp. The speed of the stroke
when the bow is thrown upon the string
controls the rapidity of the rebounding.
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Every once in a while I meet someone
who once was a good amateur violinist,
hut who lost his taste for ICreutzer and
Fiorillo when he stopped taking lessons,
and now hardly ever touches his instru¬
ment. He says, “I wish I could keep up.
my playing, but I cannot afford to spend
two or three hours a day on exercises, so
I have just let it drop.”
I have not taken lessons for about eight
years, and at times I did not play for
months. Not long ago I made myself a
schedule of practice that has put me back
into fairly good playing condition without
much work. I hope that all persons
. similarly situated will try it. Here it is:
1. Finger exercises without the bow—5
minutes. ,
Carl Flesch’s Urstudten or the Nemusier
will give plenty of exercising material for
strengthening and freeing the fingers, and
shaping the hand to the violin.
2. Bowing exercises on open strings—10
Bates “Bow Control Exercises.” I be¬
lieve these exercises give more specific
results for the time spent on them than
the more complete works of Sevcik and
others. The student should exercise him¬
self in all the bowings in Bates’ book
every day.
3. Shifting exercises—5 minutes.
Two or three lines a day from Bytovetz-
ski, Bryant or Siegfried Eberhardt. These
will cure bad intonation, the thing that
makes so many enemies for the “rusty”
violinist.
4. Scales and arpeggi—10 minutes.
One scale a day from David’s “Violin
School, part 2.” Play it in every way
you can—long scale, arpeggio, broken
thirds and thirds, broken sixths and sixths,
octaves, tenths, etc.
When you have finished one half hour
of this kind of practice, you will be able
to enoy yourself with solos, overtures, or
any of the other things that make amateur
“fiddling” such a pleasure.
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Please mention THE ETUDE when addressing
Page GH SEPTEMBER 1921
THE ETUDE
Professional Directory ^
™_1_ ARNOLD
in different keys, the fingers assume dif- quisition of speed confic
ferent groupings or combinations accord- ligence m sight reading,
ing to the location of the major and minor Most useful perhaps, is
seconds (whole and half steps). For of the Combinations to tl
example on the a string, in the key of C tery of difficult details of
fingers 1 and 2 are together, while fingers The music may be marke
By 3 e and 4 ^ ^ ^
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GILBERT ^gSSSS DETROIT 'WSSSB*- sSjSrH'3
(4th) then / (1st finger on the r string)
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How to “Arrange” for Small Orchestra
Ex. 3
By Edwin H. Pierce. Part III
Editor’s Note.—Thousands of musicians and music lovers
about the orchestra, particularly the small orchestra. The \
given to orchestras in public schools and high schools has prompte
the following article, the first of a series which will run for sever
Pierce, former Assistant Editor of “The Etude,” has had long pri
in this subject and has conducted many small orchestras. He ex.
in such a simple manner that anyone with application should be able
his suggestions without difficulty. “The Etude” does not attempt
correspondence in any study, but short inquiries of readers interests
will be answered when possible ]
The Orchestral Piano Part
In arranging a piano piece for orches¬
tra, it is quite possible simply to leave the
piece as it stands, in the piano part, but
the effect is vastly improved if the part
be re-arranged. That is done by omitting
(in general) the melody, and using the
two hands of the player more simply and ——-
efficiently for bass and chords. Thus, in it would sound well
Moszkowski’s Serenata, the two first part as written, thus
measures need no alteration, but beginning lins and other instrume
with the third measure, we change it from merely accompanying the
Then, too, there are m
a part may be “cued in”
piano copy, with advantage,
daily the case with the flute
stance, take the twenty-four
this same piece:
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 615
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ir the melody to the violin part,
is the general procedure, but
e exceptions: for instance at the
h measure, where the tones are
This is essentially a passage proper for
flute. It might be given to violin, but
would be very difficult for anj
amateur player, consequently it
best to retain it in the orchestral piano
part, marking it, however, "flute.” Other
parts frequently cued
occasion demands are
drums. Of course, this ...-
as a mere makeshift, but it is
(To be i
Poise, and How to Obtain It
By Chas. Johnstone, Mus. Bac.
What is poise? Applied to Music, a
definition, perhaps most easily understood,
would be “self-control,” or “self-possess¬
ion.” In all matters of performance,
public or private, in Music or any other
art, this is a most necessary thing to have.
Its lack may be evidenced in many forms.
The player, singer, or reader, whose dan¬
ger of breaking down makes the cold chills
run down the back; the speaker who
flounders around, trying to find a way out
of some sentence he has started; the per¬
son loosing his temper because he is getting
worsted in an argument; all of these are
illustrations of the lack of poise.
How, then, shall we get this poise? The
key to it lies in the axiom that knowledge
IS POWER.
There are four classes of performers.
First, those who do not understand their
subject and fully realize the fact. Second,
those who do not understand their subject,
but fail to realize the fact. Third, those
who do, understand their subject, but are
afraid for fear they will get stuck. Fourth,
those who know their subject, and know,
without any doubt, that they know it.
The first class, in their lack of knowl¬
edge, display their wisdom by their silence.
The ’ second are the “bumptious” ones;
and, verily, they have their reward. The.
third kind are an annoyance. The fourth
are the only class of people worth listening
to. If we know a thing, and know that
we know it, we cannot be shaken from
our position.
It is just this knowledge, then, that gives
us self-possession or poise. If we really
understand a subject, we can explain every
detail of it. And the reverse is equally
true. If we cannot explain every detail of
a subject, we don’t really understand it.
Now, let us apply all this to the
of the young student. Do you really un¬
derstand Time, Accent, Scales, Chords, In¬
tervals, Accidentals, etc., so that you can
clearly define and explain their rules, and
not be stuck by a rapid-fire cross-question¬
ing? Can you play any and every passage
of your piece off-hand, without fear
of making a-bungle of it? If you cannot
do this, then your self-control is in dan¬
ger. Therefore, your first great care must
be to know, and know that you know.
A second help is a strong, clear brain.
To this end one must cultivate the habit
of Deep Breathing; as the amount of
blood supplied to the brain depends upon
this; and without this supply the mind
cannot do its work effectively.
A further aid is belief in one’s self.
Pessimism never did any one any good.
Persistence, and a will that won’t take
denial are the two great factors of success.
As already remarked, knowledge is
power. This, and this alone gives power
and poise.
i FT IIS SEND YOU A FEW ETUDE CARDS FOR DISTRIBUTION AMONG
LET TOURMUSICAL FRIENDS WHO SHOULD BE “ETUDEITES.”
Gentle on Hosiery
With the All-Rubber shrewdly
fash ; oned Oblong Button the
HOSE SUPPORTER
holds the stocking in place
securely—but without in¬
jury to the most delicate
silk fabric.
Sold Everywhere
GEORGE FROST CO., BOSTON
Makers ot the lamcus Boston Garter for Men
Please mention THE ETUDE when addressing
our advertisers.
THE ETUDE
Page 616 SEPTEMBER 1921
New Low Rock-bottom Prices
For Popular Magazines
We are continually on the lookout to
secure the best prices possible m order
that we may offer them to our friends
and subscribers.
The list below represents some ol tne
best publications and in every case,^ there
Special Notices
ANNOUNCEMENTS
WANTED and FOR SALE
Ms ISSS***
*2.00 I. Both $2.50 sW, Pn. ’
tv'--
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 617
Schools and Collides
CHICAGO—See Also Page 618 and 610
CHICAGO'S FOREMOST SCHOOL OF MUSIC
36th Session Commences September 12, 1921
Offers superior courses in all branches of music and dramatic art, including Master School.
Diplomas, Degrees and Teachers’ Certificates granted by authority State of Illinois, ihoroug
preparation for concert, opera and teaching positions. Many special features, recitals, lectures.
Two Excellent Dormitories Offer Accommodations at Moderate Hates
UNSURPASSED FACULTY OF NINETY-FIVE ARTIST-INSTRUCTORS
cAmong them might be mentioned:
PIANO — Heniot Levy, Allen Spencer, Vic¬
tor Garwood,. Silvio Scionti, Louise Robyn,
Kurt Wanieck, Earl Blair.
VOICE — Karleton Hackett, Ragna Linne, E.
Warren K. Howe, Charles La Berge.
VIOLIN —Herbert Butler, Adolf Weidig,
ORGAN—William Middelschulte, Frank Van
Dusen, Herbert E. Hyde.
MUSICAL THEORY, COMPOSITION -
Adolf Weidig, Arthur O. Andersen, John
Palmer, Leo Sowerby.
VIOLONCELLO—Robert Ambrosius, Adolf
Hoffman.
and many others.
ac, David Bisphs
PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC —O. E. Robin-
HARP—Enrico Tramonti.
SCHOOL OF ACTING AND EXPRES-
SION —Letitia Kempster Barnum, A.
Louise Suess. Stage Training, Public Read¬
ing, Physical Expression, Dancing.
GUEST INSTRUCTORS, 1921 - Josef Lhevin.
7-> /f 1 . Tneludinv admission to Conservatory Recitals (by members of the faculty and advanced pupils); Teachers* Nor
Free Advantages: SnTschool, Lectures; Students^ Orchestra, Vocal Sight Reading Class and A Capella Chou. 25 free compel,
scholarships. (Examinations from Sept. 5 to Sept. 8. Apply for examination blank.) A Musical Bureau for securing positions.
Lyceum and Chautauqua engagements secured
Examinations Free . Catalog mailed free on application - Me
AMERICAN CONSERVATORY, 571 Kimball Hall, Wabash Ave. and Jackson Blvd., Chicago
JOHN J. HATT ST A ED 7\ President— Karleton Hackett, Adolf Weidig, Heniot Levy, Associate Directors
LMSE FOEEST
UMIVEI
OF
Courses in all branches of music,
eluding piano, voice, theory, vie
harp, wind instruments, etc. Special
“Public School Music” course fitting
young women for positions.
Faculty of collegiate standing and
MARTA MILINOWSKI
Private Teachers
NO TEACHER
T» B aaryw q °dchase/ch^l a
OF^USIQAL ARTS
800 LYON A ND MEALY HUlLoiNG, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
A SCHOOL FOR TRAINING OF PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS
til Teache^cS?fl?at8 r anlf olplom^ M Writetor CurricSimTsOOLyonand Henly*Bldg., Chicago, 01.
COSMOPOLITAN
SCHOOL OF MUSIC
AND
DRAMATIC ART
DR. CARVER WILLIAMS, President
An eminent faculty of 60 artists. Offers to
piospective students courses of study based
upon the best modern educational principles
Also courses in collegiate studies for students
unable to attend university. Diplomas, De¬
grees and Teachers’ Certificates. Many free
Sight Reading
MADE EASY FOR PIANISTS
sis
mm
CREATIVE PIAHO PLAYliS COURSE
Public Schools and Private
This course stresses PRINCIPLE instead
J
7
VIOLIN—Mel V i n Martinson; ‘ ' M a r y
DRAMATIC ART—Ellen G. Hill; Edna J.
and how rectified-how to play
accompaniments at sight-etc.
Bradley^ Conservatory of Music
All Branches of Music
Compete Course in 5 tee.onehymait. $5.00
°^-E* : Stanley Seder; Lester W.
DANFORD HAIL CHICAGO
Peoria - • - ' Illinois j
C.Mc-
1\ /FAKE THE SEASON 1921-1922 THE “BANNER SEA°ON” in Your
JVI Study of Music. A careful perusal of pages 617, 618, 619, 620. 621 and
Ta^un. SCHO ° L MUS,C “ J - B£aCh
Fall Season Opens September 12
622 of this issue will a< ; q Yelding sclTJol “ e
student witn me renmrRduic auva.uu S co
ind colleges. Many of these opportunities
been equalled in America.
j EdwbT Ij.^Steplmn^Wbfr.^Bo^E^^'^ 11 School,
Page 618 SEPTEMBER 1921
TIIE ETUDE
JV UlO ~ ^ , ____
CtacagoMusical College
FELIX BOROWSKI, President /Z"£^^T^Z
FALL TERM NOW OPEN
Faculty of More than 100 Teacher, including the following noted arti.ta: (Alph.behcallyArrajwed)
PIANO VOCAL RICHARD CZERWONKY
MAURICE ARONSON BELLE FORBES_CUTTER LOUISE^FERRARIS
MAUK1LL nAL/iKown
MOSES BOGUSLAWSKI
BARTON BACHMANN
EDWARD COLLINS
HARRY DETWEILER
GLENN DILLARD GUNN
MAX KRAMM
ALEXANDER RAAB
LOUIS VICTOR SAAR
C. GORDON WEDERTZ
UUjL,L,Ej ru^Diio --
STANLEY DEACON
EDOUARD DU FRESNE
ROSE LUTIGER GANNON
MABEL SHARP HERDIEN
JOHN r
JOHN B. MILLER
ADOLF MUHLMANN ^
EDOARDO SACERDOTE
BVRTON THATCHER
LUUIhii mnoft
MAX FISCHEL
FREDERIK FREDERIKSEN
MAURICE GOLDBLATT
RAY HUNTINGTON
LEON SAMETINI
ORGAN
CLARENCE EDDY
ERIC DE lAMARTER
HELEN W. ROSS
C. GORDON WEDERTZ
uADA/inMV rnMPnsiTION COUNTERPOINT, CANON AND FUGUE
HARMONY, COMPUbll lUN, laura d. Harris barton bachmann
FELIX BOROWSKI LOUIS VICTOR SAAR HAROLD B. MARYO INTFRPRFTATION
TEACHERS’ NORMAL COURSES REPERTOIRE ANEMNTERPRETATION
JULIA LOIS CARUTHERS (Piano) ritrtON THATCHER ~ GLENN DILLARD GUNN
HAROLD B =P U MCHEL (Violin) SVcSs
WALTON PYRE (Expression and Dramatic
PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC
HAROLD B. MARYOTT
DRAMATIC ART AND EXPRESSION
WALTON PYRE MINNA MAE LEWIS
SCHOOL OF OPERA
ADOLF MUHLMANN EDOARDO SACERDOTE
All Orches
aught
FREE SCHOLARSHIPS
OF THE TOTAL VALUE
OF $20,000
* aI (^ 1^0ijJ art ' a Vj’5j 1 °^ a .f s kiP 3 t C^ >6 aWa Q C< ^ jj e pia n o presenSi'for comp^ition'i^the Post°Gmduation, Graduation^ndSemor D^plo^r«^Classes'by th^Calile F'iai
-Jassby the Mason & Hamlin Co. Conover Grand Piano presented tor competition in tne Entire Musical Education for competition in the Vocal Depu.imen
JiSfbe' ^SdTS SSfflSSS^X~l <*-- W-T Orchestra. Opera Sch.hr.h.p
15 prizes of $300 each; 15 of $100; 15 of $50 in the classes; also Diamond, Gold and Silver Medals
56 th YEAR
dormitory accommodations
620 SOUTH MICHIGAN AVENUE
(Next to Blackstone Hotel)
COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF MUSIC
CLARE OSBORNE REED, Director
CHICAGO
TWENTY-FIRST SEASON OPENS SEPTEMBER 5th
Registration Days, September 1st, 2nd, 3rd
SCHOOL YEAR, 44 WEEKS
This is a remarkable advantage for prolonged study during the student year.'
RESIDENT FACULTY OF 60 EMINENT MUSICIANS
Many of whom are known throughout the musical world for the brilliancy of their attainments as artists and teachers
EVERY BRANCH OF MUSIC
N ormal T raining
For piano teachers and those pre¬
paring to teach
Normal Lectures
Interpretation
Keyboard Harmony
Improvisation
History of Music
Dalcroze Eurythmics
Observation—Childrens’
Classes
Piano
Classes for Artist
Students
Interpretation
Repertoire
Accompanying
Teaching Material
History and Ap¬
preciation
Observation —
C h i 1 d r en’s
Theory
Harmony — Ele-
mentary and
Advanced
Melodic Construc¬
tion
Analysis
Composition
Keyboard H a r -
Voice
Coaching
Interpretation
Repertoire
Sight Singing
Concert Work
Oratorio
Lyceum and Chau¬
tauqua
Church Singing
Community Sing¬
ing
Chorus Singing
Violin
Advanced work
for Orchestra
and Professional
Players
Practical lessons
for Teachers
Ensemble
Orchestra Con¬
ducting
Lectures
"su? *
Public School Music
Methods
Methods
Psychology
Practice Teaching
Choral Conducting
Sight Singing
Ear Training
Orchestra Conducting
Harmony
Child Voice
COLUMBIA SCHOOL OF MUSIC
509 South Wabash Avenue
CHICAGO
*-•
THE ETUDE
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 610
'OBSERVATORY
(INCORPORATED)
A School of Music and Dramatic Art
COURSES IN ALL BRANCHES
MASTER FACULTY INCLUDING:
Elias Day, President and Director of Dramatic Department
Theodore Harrison, Director of Music Department and Teacher of Voice
Lucille Stevenson, Vocal Department
Maurice Rosenfeld, Piano Department
Jeanne Boyd, Theory Deparment
Katharine Howard-W ard, Organ and Piano Department
Our two and three year courses leading to degrees, diplomas
and teachers’ certificates enable our graduates to obtain splendid
positions in the concert and teaching field.
Over five hundred of our students are now filling successful
positions throught the country.
Fall Term Opens September 12, 1921
Dormitories and studios in our own beautiful building in the
heart of new art center, two blocks from Lake Michigan, North
side.
Write Secretary for free catalog.
JEANNE HOWARD, 1160 N. Dearborn St.,
Chicago College of Music
ESTHER HARRIS DUA, President
27th YEAR OPENS SEPTEMBER 5th, 1921
S3BSH2S8KS
as*irjHutae.
Recital to be given best singer.
Address for free catalog, DEPT. 23
1* > 34 KIMBALL BUILDING A. G. dua. Manage CHICAGO, ILL.
HUNTINGTON COLLEGE CONSERVATORY «e»SlS,S
Music Department ol Hantington^ ' d ^te W not make a mone^ ly Facuit^or e un 8 aueBtioned standing!
of advantages at very low ^ 6 VOICE, HARMONY, HISTORY OF MUSIC, PUBLIC
Courses Offered : school music,languages, expression and dramatic art
” Giving Teachers Practical Work Applicable to Their Needs
'boarding facilities excellent-no better anywhere
pleased tojurn^ah^fun Address, Box 512 - - - HUNTINGTON, INDIANA
"1
j Jfow much is it possih/c fon/ou earn }
THE ETVDE-THEO. PRESSER CO.. Publishers, Philadelphia. Pa.
Known for Democracy, Economy, Hard Work
CONSERVATORY
MUSIC
Opens
Sept. 21 st
T HE Conservatory occupies a beautiful building devoted
exclusively to its own use. In the building are forty^ i
eight practice rooms, each containing a piano. In addition;'
there are large studios and special rooms for Harmony.
For recitals, ensemble work, etc., there is a Recital Hall,
thoroughly furnished with every appliance for such work.
A complete and broad musical education based upon the best
modern American and European principles is offered in:
PIANO, VOICE, VIOLIN, ALL ORCHESTRAL INSTRUMENTS
Musical Theory, Harmony, Counterpoint,
Composition, Musical History, Appreciation
PUBLIC SCHOOL MUSIC, EAR TRAINING, SIGHT SINGING
CHORUS and OPERATIC CLASSES
FULLY EQUIPPED ORCHESTRA OF 40-50 MEMBERS UNDER
AN EXPERIENCED SYMPHONY CONDUCTOR
WITH EUROPEAN REPUTATION
LYCEUM ART COURSE
Thorough preparation for Platform and Stage in
VIOLIN, VOICE, PIANO, ALL ORCHESTRAL
INSTRUMENTS and in DRAMATIC ART
SPECIAL COACHING FOR PROFESSIONAL
MUSICIANS, ACTORS and READERS
DEGREES, DIPLOMAS, TEACHERS’ CERTIFICATES
LYCEUM and CHAUTAUQUA engagements secured
The Faculty consists of highly educated and experienced
Musicians of International recognition
MODERATE TERMS
STUDENTS MAY ENTER ANY TIME
The Conservatory is located so near Chicago that it must
compete with the best work done there, so that Valparaiso
students have every advantage that they could possibly
have in the city and at an expense not one-fifth as great.
The low cost of all courses has not been brought about by
sacrificing a high grade of instruction, but by applying
business principles to the
Cost of Living
so that the most satisfactory accommodations for board
and room may be had at $80.00 per quarter of 12 weeks
For Free Catalog Address
j. E. ROSSELER, President
Box 6, University Hall, Valparaiso, Ind.
Page 620 SEPTEMBER 1921
THE ETUDE
Schools and Colleges
NEW YORK
Interested in Piano Playing ?
Then you should know of
The Virgil Method, Vols. I and II
How When and Where to Pedal
175 Piano Pieces and Studies (Grades I to VI)
All by Mrs. A. M. Virgil
(Graded catalog on request)
You should know also
The splendid instruments for Piano Practice called
The Virgil Tekniklavierl Both full Piano size)
The Bergman Clavier I
Four and Two Octave Keyboards in Suitcases
The Child’s Pedal (A pedal and footrest for the child)
Also the well known
VIRGIL PIANO CONSERVATORY
120 West 72d St.
Catalogs and full inforn
NEW YORK CITY
0
Salvini School of Singing
NINTH Mario Salvini, Director
206 West 7 1st St. New York City Telep hone: Columbus 22 02 &
—===== 15
A singing school living up to highest standards of art. The direct way to the
£ manager , producer and impresario. Opera, concert, church, J
£ oratorio, musical comedy and teachers courses. c/2
© PUBLIC APPEARANCES ^
U Courses for beginners, advanced students and courses of perfection for artists. =
S Opera department endorsed by Gatti Casazza, D.rector General of Metro-
S politan Opera House, Arturo Toscanini, Giorgio Polacco, Gennaro I a, ^
| and others prominent in the musical world. _ , . 3
(5 The method used by Mr. Salvini and assistants is of the Italian School -C
of Bel Canto, comprising: breathing and vocal gymnastics, voice plate- „
3 m ent, solfeggio, development, diction, phrasing, analysis of the voice, ©
v its scope, functions and possibilities, development of the vocal, rhythm: c
a ca , and musica l faculties. Songs, ballads, arias, operas in the differ, nt
“ original languages. n evenings Address correspondence
MARIO SALVINI 206 Welt 71,t stree -l New York City^
0
0
New York School of Music and Arts
\ Voice
36th Season — \ s« g ei Kiibanst,
October 4th, 1921 ’
Send for Circulars
and Catalogue
212 West Fifty-ninth Street
New York City
University of Rochester |
Eastman Schoo
of Music
Founded by George Eastman
ALF KLINGENBERG, Director
AN ENDOWED MUSIC SCHOOL FOR
PROFESSIONAL AND CUL¬
TURAL STUDY
CHRISTIAN SINDING
Engaged for Department of Composition.
Faculty list includes for next
year: T. H. YorkeTrotter, Joseph
Bonnet, Harold Gleason, Arthur
Alexander, Arthur Hartmann,
Pierre Augieras, Raymond Wilson,
Adelin Fermin, Gerald Maas,
George Barlow Penny.
150 Riverside Drive,
New York City
Beautiful location overlooking |
Hudson River.
Day and Boarding Pupils ?
Ideal home life for refined, |
cultured girls.
Europe and America's Most |
Eminent Teachers
Voice, piano, organ, violin, harp and all |
instruments. Dramatic art, dancing, |
languages. Outdoor life and all recrea- \
tional and social advantages.
i MUSICAL ANDE1
INTERNATIONAL
MRS. BABCOCK
Also Church and Concert Engagement*
CARNEGIE HALL, NEW YORK
COURSES FOR
PIANISTS
ACCOMPANISTS
PlAl'flTf^llOOL
Carnegie JfalL New York.
TEACHERS
The SIGHT, TOUCH and HEARING System of Teaching. Write for booklet
Study Music in New York
THE SCUDDER SCHOOL
for YOUNG WOMEN
7 Buildings: Dormitory Accommodations
West 72d Street at Riverside Drive
MYKON T. SCUDDER. President
MUSIC DEPARTMENT
VICTOR BIART, Director. Lecturer on th
History and Appreciation of Music
McCALL LANHAM, Voice. Teacher c
Singing in the American Institute c
Applied Music. New York
WINFIELD VEAZEY ABELL Piano.
Formerly Director of the Hartford
Conservatory of Music
Assisted by teachers of string, wood and
Whatever Your Plans, Purposes and Ambitions,
Whatever Y ourProf iciency, LetusHearfromYou.
English,French and Span!
PhysicaDraming and recrea
Dormitory accommodation!
accomplished social direc
i*k , rilmg. n «c' S
The National Conservatory of Music of America Enr ^r y «r^kfdct^ 1,1
* ” ~ * sd by Congress
ler)
fice also at Washington, D. C
The only School of Music in the U. S. chart.
(JEANNETTE M. THURBER, Fou
W. 79th St., N. V. City
- College of Fine Arts -
Syracuse University
Unexcei led advantages for the study of music. Facui
ty of 20 specialists. Regular four-year course lead
to the degree of Mus. B. Special certificate courses
For catalogue and full information, address
Registrar, Syracuse University, Syracuse, N. Y
Crane Normal Institute of Music
Training School for Superviiori ol Music
v ( BOTH SEXES ^
form, music-history, chorus-conducting, methods,
practice-teaching. _ Graduates hold important posi-
53 MAIN ST., POTSDAM, NEW YORK
JTHACA CONSERVATORY
Special advantages to
those looking to educa- X AUSIC
tional or concert work. IVJ[
All instruments, Vocal,
Dramatic Art and Physical Train¬
ing. Graduates of Musical, Public
Speaking and Physical Training
Departments eligible to teach m
N. Y. State Public Schools. Dor¬
mitories and Concert Hall.
MASTER COURSES
with world-famous artists in all departments
School of Piano Tuning In Connection
School Year Opens September 22nd
Address THE REGISTRAR, i DeWill Park. i.hica. N -
SEE ALSO IMPORTANT
NEW YORK SCHOOLS
ON PAGE 621
Please mention THE ETUDE when addressing
THE etude
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 621
Schools and Colleges
SOUTHERN, PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW YORK
Hfcf )«rtiirfmrhX 3 Bluf Ridge M
North of Atlanta, Standard A:.B. course; .special.
BRENAU •» Gainesville,
School of Music
OF
I SHENANDOAH COLLEGIATE '
INSTITUTE
LEADING SCHOOL OF MUSIC IN THE SOUTH ^
Ast for BookietFREE ” 8 L*BOXHoTDAYTON, VA.
Atlanta Conservatory of Music tt =
Peachtree and Broad Streets, Atlanta, Georgia
MR. and MRS. CROSBY ADAMS
Annual Summer Classes for Teachers of Piano
for the Study of Teaching Material
MONTREAT, N. C.
''m ON TREAT, NORTH CAROLINA
FOREST PARKSaS
ision. Pub. Sch. Music, Ar ,
COLLEGE
si)., Voice, Violin, Expr
ESTABLISHED 1857
nr a unnv CONSERVATORY
T LADUU I BALTIMORE, MD.
857^ --
One of the oldest and most noted Musu
- Schools in America.
rtuH Philadelphia
Musical Academy
instruraenta^and*^*? * Students’ Symphony O rches^
K? "«dS%3&£oS SMmpg};
Managing Director. 1617 Spruce St.
T\ ■ M I Now in new building.
II 1111 | Over 1300 students last
1 # lilt!•!]&£“'
Pittsburgh Musical Institute., Inc.
—■— •~= al ‘ 1 ——- TffirXl
^^^^ScKools and
NEW YORK, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 620
Institute «t Musical Art
OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Frank Damrosch, Director «
An endowed school of music conducted
solely in the interest of higher musical
education and providing complete and
comprehensive courses.
SPECIAL PREPARATORY CENTRES in different
parts of New York City and Brooklyn for children
For catalogues address
Secretary, 120 CLAREMONT AVE.,
NEW YORK CITY
SKIDMORE
SCHOOL OF ARTS
CHARLES HENRY KEYES,Pli.D . 1
Musfci”phy*icaf Ed«at1o1. rt SrtrrtIria'i Science;
and General Course^ wit^reiated^subject:^
catalogu , SECRETARY
Box J, Saratoga Springs, New York
Please mention THE ETUDE
mnm
m-
CONSEWArORXySuSIC
PHILADELPHIA
37th YEAR OPENS SEPTEMBER 12th
shed faculty, original and scientific methods, individual instruc-
eadth of culture and moderate cost, combined with efficient
t, the COMBS CONSERVATORY affords opportunities
not obtainable elsewhere for a complete musical education.
All Branches. Normal Training Course For Teachers. Public Per¬
formance. (Four Pupils’ Recitals a week.) Orchestra and Band
Departments. Two Complete Pupils’ Symphony Orchestras.
Conductor’s Course.
Reciprocal relations with University of Pennsylvania.
SCHOOL OF INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTION
(Theoretical and Applied Branches Taught Privately and in Classes)
Faculty: Gilbert Raynolds Combs, Piano, Hugh A. Clarke, Mus. Doc, Theory; Nelson A.
Chesnutt, Voice; Russell King Miller, Organ; William Geiger, Mus.Bac., Violin,
SUMMER SCHOOL
Teaching in all branches will be continued during the Summer'under the personal instruction and super¬
vision of Department Directors. Work taken during.the Summer will be credited on regular courses.
DORMITORIES FOR WOMEN th d
tory pupils 1 ]have^dvantages^ot afforJed^i/a^^otiier'schod of^Muskn’Daily Supervised Practice, Daily
SIX SPACIOUS BUILDINGS
The only Conservatory in the State with Dormitories for Women
A School of Inspiration, Enthusiasm, Loyalty and Success.
Ulustfated Year Book Free
GILBERT RAYNOLDS COMBS, Director
Administration Building, 1331 So. Broad Street
when addressing our advertisers.
4
Page 622 SEPTEMBER 1921
THE ETUDE
=0=
ScWools and Colleges
NEW ENGLAND AND MIDDLE WEST
. Ne^tng'and ,
Conservatory
OF MUSIC S.ZZX-;™
George W. Chadwick
Director
Located in the Music
It affords pupils the eni
t^SfacUitief for^str' 1
Complete Curricult
BOSTON, MASS.
of America The Free Privileges , ,
nd atmosphere Of lectures, concerts and recitals, the opportum-
. Its complete ties of enseinble^ practice
;nt o er excep- able Advantages to the music student.
Course
inch of Music, applied and
is Ralph L. Flanders, General Manag
PERCY FULLINWIDER, Violinist
Head of Violin Department
LAWRENCE CONSERVATORY
Appleton, Wis.
A MASTER TEACHER
Unusual opportunity for the serious student ol violin
Write for free catalog and information.
CARL J. WATERMAN, Dean
The Courtright System of Musical Kindergarten
Oldest and most practical system. Write for
particulars of correspondence course, also or
Spring Class to be held in North Carolina.
Mrs. Lillian Courtright Cnrli, 116 gdno iro.,Bridgeport,Conn.
Charles W Mol son Director Whn Otoo
48 th Year
DETROIT
CONSERVATORY of
■A BBS* Hp IP Francis L. York, M.A., President
■ | l ltegagK I ■ Elizabeth Johnson,Vice-President
Finest Conservatory in theWest
Offers to earnest students courses of study based upon the best modern
and educational principles. Renowned faculty of /0. Students
orchestra, concerts and recitals. Diplomas and Degrees conferred.
Teachers’certificates. Desirableboardingaccommodations.
Fall Term Opens Sept. 12,1921
UNRIVALED FREE ADVANTAGES
fc'KffeffiE'SS ftSfttS: Sfdt &SUU ..
Mus. Bac.; Ethel Littell, Alma Glock, Henry Lorch.
Lechtwordt; M. Gray Fowler and 30 additional ^Vio Tharayk ^Zusman C
Orgun-Francis L.York, M. A.; Alle D. Zui- Lewis Powell! Edna Ke
dent a,- Mus. Doc. Brown.
^ Theory, Harmony, Compositioir-AUe ZuMema.^Mus. Doc.—Pos-
Mandolin and Guitar -Alexander G. Poll.
Normal Training for Piano Teachers —Francis L. York.
Public School Music and Drawing-Miss Hermine Lorch, Paul Honore.
School of Expression —Miss Lilly Adela Darling, Ethlyn Briggs.
Dancing —Etlilyn Briggs.
Examinations Free. For Catalog
and Other Information, Address
JAMES H. BELL, Secretary, 5035 Woodward Ave., Box 7—Detroit, Mich.
FALL TERM OPENS SEPT. 6™
One and Two Year Courses in Piano, Voice, V'foZin.O'-tfan,
Public School Music, leading to diplomas recognized by the state.
Send for free catalog. Dormitory accomodations.
MacPHAIL SCHOOL
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
100 TEACHERS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN AMERICA
CINCINNATI CONSERVATORY ofMUSIC. estabL
CLARA BAUR, Found
The College of Music of Cincinnati
ELM STREET ADJOINING MUSIC HALL
Music, Dramatic Art and Languages in all branches taught
exclusively by experienced artist teachers. Dormitory lor
young ladies. Advantages equal to most famous European
institutions. For catalog, address, J. H. Thuman, Manager.
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THE ETUDE
JUNIOR*
etude;
CONDUCTED BY ELIZABETH A GEST
Chronological List of
Musicians
A True Fairy Story
By A. Y. W.
By Julia E. Williams
Have you copied all the lists in your note¬
book? If you have not, summer is a good
time to copy the back lists. This is the
seventh and there will be just one more for
you to copy.
1831—1907, Joseph Joachim, Born in Hun¬
gary. Violinist, composer and
teacher.
1833—1897, Johann Brahms, German.
Composer. Follower of Bach and
Beethoven, whom he considered the
world’s greatest masters.
1835— still living, Charles Camille Saint-
Saens, French. Wrote his first sym¬
phony when sixteen years old. Or¬
ganist and composer.
1836— 1891, Leo Delibes, French. Com¬
poser of ballets and operas.
1837— 1911, Felix Alexandre Guilmant,
French. Organist and composer.
1840— 1893, Peter Ilyitch Tschaikowski,
Russian. Composer and teacher,
Best known work is “Symphony
Pathetique”.
1841— 1904, Antonin Dvorak, Bohemian.
Visited America and his best known
work “The New World symphony”
is based on plantation melodies.
1842— 1912, Jules Massenet, French. Com¬
poser. Best known opera is “Thais”.
Taught in Paris conservatoire.
1843— 1907, Edward Hagerup Grieg, Nor¬
wegian. Began to compose when
nine years old. Helped to develop
the National music of Norway.
Composed many piano pieces and 150
1844— 1908. Nicholas Rimsky-Korsakov,
Russian. Composer, conductor and
teacher.
1845— still living, Leopold Auer, Hungar¬
ian. Violinist and great teacher of
1848— still living, Vladimir de Pachman.
Russian. Pianist, especially well-
known for his playing of Chopin.
1849— 1895, Benjamin Godard, French.
1850— 1909. Ludwig Schytte, Danish.
Composer. Pupil of Liszt.
1853—1918, Teresa Carreno, Venezuelan,
pianist and teacher of MacDowell.
Letter Box
Junior Etude :
li taking this opportunity to let 1
how I enjoy The Etude. I look t
o getting it each month. T have tv-
ny letters from Hawaii in the .Tun
I.otter Box, so I thought I would wi
Honolulu, the capital city of
Hawaiian
if some Junior Etude friend would '
to me I would gladly answer her letter,
tell her all she would like to know 8
these beautiful islands.
From your friend.
Ruth Doherty (Age 13).
Honolu
Once upon a time there lived a man
named Valerus, who had studied milsic
for many, many years. He was called
the greatest musician in the world, and
played before kings and queens, and
great nobles. One night as he lay sleep¬
ing he dreamed of beautiful music, more
beautiful than any he had ever heard.
He awoke from his dream, and said to
himself, “I will compose music like that
and play it for all people, rich and poor.
I am sure they will lead better lives be¬
cause of the beautiful thoughts it will put
into their hearts. It is more noble to
teach people to live true, pure lives than
to play for kings and queens.”
So he gave up playing at the court
and lived in a garret in the heart of a
great city. He, worked all the long days
and far into the nights composing his
dream music. He ate crusts of bread
and slept upon a crude couch, for he had
very little money. He did- not mind these
hardships, for at night, when the stars
were shining he would look from his gar¬
ret window out over the sombre city and
think how wonderful it would be when
his beautiful music had brightened its
gloom.
At last, when the music was completed
and he had called all the people to come
to hear it what do you think happened?
They did not care for it. They looked at
each other and said, “I can’t make any¬
thing of it. It isn’t pretty.” All the time
Valerus was playing they were whisper¬
ing about their neighbors, laughing at
rude jokes, and some of them even went
to sleep. Valerus went sorrowfully back
to his garret and soon died of a broken
heart.
Two hundred years after his death a
great conservatory of music was estab¬
lished in the city where Valerus had
lived. Some one found the music he had
composed and gave it to the great mas¬
ters, who played it .and said “H6w beau¬
tiful!” They taught it to their pupils,
who soon learned to love the strains
which the people, two hundred years be¬
fore, had not been able to understand.
The lesson in this little story is easily
seen. When your teacher gives you a
piece of music by some great composer
and you are not able to appreciate it do
not say, “It is not pretty,” but study it
thoroughly until you are able by careful
practice to bring out the beauty of its
phrases and chords. Then perhaps you
will say instead, “It is beautiful.”
Singing Rhythms
Sometimes you come to a place in your
piece that has a very complicated, rhythm.
Sometimes it is syncopation (you remem¬
ber what that is, don’t you?) ; or it may
be a collection of dotted notes or dotted
rests. Do these places ever give you any
trouble? Sometimes you can get these
rhythms very easily; and sometimes you
get them very anti-easily, or hardly (or
hardly get them at all, which is it?)
The next time you come to one of these
troublesome places, sing it, or whistle it,
instead of playing it. Clap the time beats
with your hands and sing or whistle the
melody to your hand-claps. If it is still
difficult divide the time beats and clap
eighth-note beats instead of quarter-note
beats.
If you do this several times in succes¬
sion, correctly, you will not have any more
trouble when you play the passage.
Dojng this helps you to grasp the pass¬
age mentally and aurally. (Do you know
what that means? If not,look it up. That
will help you to remember.)
Bang! Crash! Bing! Boom!
By Rachel Sharpless Spiegel
See these instruments of percussion, and mark the rhythm when clashed to-
Ah that strange name sounds like Rus- gether. Tap the triangle, made of steel,
sian! It simply means that they only and little fairy bells ring and peal. When
play when someone strikes them, or bangs the tympanist plays all three—that’s the
away. The big fat fellow’s a Kettledrum thing that amuses me! He skips around
—his proper name is the Tympanum., with an agile jump, and gives each one
He’ll growl and mutter, or bang and boom, a quick whack or thump—the Cymbals,
until you think of the crack of doom. Triangle, then the Drum—gracious how
The Cymbals hold by the straps of leather, he makes things hum!!
SEPTEMBER 1921 Page 62'$
Sixty Seconds
What can you do in sixty seconds?
Give yourself a test, or if you have some
friends with you give each other a test,
and that way is really more fun, of course.
If you belong to a club the whole club
cau test each other. Get a pencil and
paper and get ready to write—and put
your thinking caps on—then look at your
watch. Sec haw many composers’ names
you can write down in just sixty seconds.
The longest list wins of course. Then try
pianists, or instruments or musical terms.
Try this either by yourself or with others
and you will really give yourself some sur¬
prises. You know dozens of names, but it
is hard to make your brain work quickly
when it is being timed; and one person
could only think of one name in the entire
sixty seconds. See what your record is.
The Piano’s Complaint
"Oh dear me," the piano said,
"I feel weary in my head,
My keys are aching
And I’m out of tune,
My pedals squeak.
I’ll be 'worn out soon.
Eleven people
Took lessons to-day
Hammering me
And trying to play.
Eleven people
Kept banging my keys,
Until I thought
A book I’d sicse
And throw it hard
At every one
Who thumped the way
The first had done.
No ivonder I am almost dead
And want to rest my weary head.’ 1
THE ETUDE
Page m SEPTEMBER 1921
Etude Portrait Series in
New Form
The ETurfe Portrait Series published
in the February (Mozart), March (Men¬
delssohn) and April (Beethoven) issues
brought us a very large number of re¬
quests for its continuance.
We felt however in these days of short¬
ages of paper and printing that one entire
page of The Etude, with sixteen portraits,
was more than we ought to give every
month.
Therefore we shall continue the series
by printing one portrait each month. These
will then be reprinted upon plain paper and
the dozens of teachers who have started
scrap books for their pupils may obtain a
supply. We will furnish twenty portraits
of Verdi, as below, for five cents in stamps.
The Portraits are also useful to be at¬
tached to any sheet of music as a kind of
daily lesson in Musical History for little
folks.
Riddle
Evangeline Close
I belong to a knife but not to a spoon;
I belong to a wit but not to a loon;
I belong to a tooth, sometimes to a tongue;
You find me in many a song that you’ve
sung.
9. Answer—Sharp.
A Few Words About Mozart
By Clara Louise Gray
Doris and Laurice were two little girls
studying Musical History.
“Oh! I do love the name of Mozart,”
and LSurice looked at Doris and smiled.
“Do the hard words trouble you, Laur-
“It says here incomprehensible preco¬
city.”
"I know what that means,” said Doris.
“It is a prodigy, which is a very bright
child.”
“When he was a baby almost, he wrote
a minuet and I learned it all by heart at my
last lesson.”
Doris turned around with a proud gest-
“Teacher was telling me about Mozart’s
ear, and how different it is from other ears
because it was a musician’s, and how as a
boy he was full of humor and fun; and
when he went to Italy the Court Ladies
loved him dearly and called him Little
Master.”
Then Laurice said, “I am nine years old,
and so are you. Just think, Mozart played
the violin before the Empress Maria
Theresa at that age, and then five years
later he wrote an opera for the Christmas
festivities at Milan.”
Doris turned to Laurice and throwing
her arms around her neck said, “Would it
not be nice if Mozart lived with us now?
His character was so nice' and kind.”
“I remember what it says about Mozart’s
genius,” said Laurice.
“Teacher says that the book says, that
the greatest gifts he had were given to
those who never helped him.”
“Why?” asked Doris.
“He needed a true friend to help him in
his musical work; but he never found one.”
“Oh dear, I do not like to talk about
anyone’s dying, do you, Laurice ?”
“Mozart did not live very long,” and
Doris looked at the clock with a sigh.
“I do not like this part for it is so sad;
but we must not forget it.”
“Let us rfemember that he died quietly
and simply, leaving behind him nine hund¬
red and twenty compositions.”
“My next lesson will be about Shubert,”
said Doris, and then (he two little girls
jumped up and ran away out Into the bright
and beautiful sunshine.
My Unruly Family
You Can Take a Complete
Conservatory Course
Either Students’or Teachers’ and learn how to play or teach correctly,
in vour spare tfme at home, by the University Extension Method, which
is now used by leading colleges of the country.
Sherwood Piano Lessons
for Students
Contain complete, explicit instruction on every phase of piano play¬
ing. No stone has been left unturned to make this absolut^y porfect
It would surprise you to know that Sherwood devoted to each lesson
enough time to earn at least $100.00 in teaching. It is possible for you
to get all this time and energy for almost nothing, compared to what it
cost. The lessons are illustrated with life-like photographs of Sherwood
at the piano. They are given with weekly examination papers.
Sherwood Normal Lessons
for Piano Teachers
Contain the fundamental principles of successful teaching—the vital
principles—the big things in touch, technique, melody, phrasing, rhythm,
tone production, interpretation and expression—a complete set ot physi¬
cal exercises for developing, strengthening and training the muscles
of the fingers, hands, wrists, arms and body, fully explained, illustrated
and made clear by photographs, diagrams and drawings.
Harmony
A knowledge of Harmony is necessary for every student and teacher.
You can study the Harmony Course prepared especially for us by Adolph
Rosenbecker, former Soloist and Conductor, pupil of Richter; and Dr.
Daniel Protheroe, Eminent Composer, Choral Conductor and Teacher.
You will receive the personal instruction of Herbert J. Wrightson,
Theorist and Composer.
Harmony Teaches You to
Artistic Temperaments
Did you ever hear anyone speak of an
Artistic Temperament? Very probably you
did, because everyone likes to talk about
things they do not understand; and very
few people understand the artistic tem¬
perament; that is, the real one.
Artistic temperaments are blamed for
everything that goes wrong, and given as
an excuse for everything that does not
go just right. It frequently happens that
when people lose their things or fail to
keep their appointments, or let themselves
become pouty or cross, they are excused
on account of their so-called artistic tem¬
peraments which, as a matter of fact, is
simply their ugly dispositions and care¬
less habits. Instead of being excused they
should be thoroughly scolded.
When you grow up you will realize
the difference between a real artistic tem¬
perament and a fake one; and you will
have no respect at all for the fakes—no¬
body has. But while you are young, just
attend to your own things carefully and
conscientiously do your practicing regu¬
larly and as your teacher directs, take
care of your books and other possessions,
and be neat and orderly, and keep your
engagements—including music lessons—
promptly. Do not think that you will ever
amount to anything if you allow yourself
to be careless and queer and humor your
fake artistic temperament.
By Sidney Bushell
Mv thumbs were very naughty, for they
seldom would obey,
My fingers, too, would waggle in the air,
And though I trained them carefully, an
hour or so a day
Their misbehavior filled me with despair.
Until my teacher told me, in my most de¬
spondent mood,
Some day they will do- just as they are
told;
And when I thought how. difficult / find
it to be good,
I really couldn’t find the heart to scold.
So when I’m feeling cranky, and inclined
to say, “'I won’t 1”
I think of my own family of ten—
Two rowdy boys and eight slim girls—Oh,
well, I simply don’t
And find I practice so much better then.
Did you know that there has been a
strike, of the printers, in different
parts of the United States? Because
of this the competition and the puzzle
is kept out of this Etude. More later.
4. Detect Wrong Notes and faulty pro¬
gressions whether in printed music or dur¬
ing the performance of a composition.
5. Memorize Rapidly, one of the very
greatest benefits derived from the study of
^Substitute Other Notes when for any
reason the ones written are inconvenient
Advanced Composition
Edited and personally conducted by Herbert J. Wrightson, distin¬
guished theorist and composer. This is the most advanced musical
course given by any school in America.
History of Music
By Glenn Dillard Gunn, noted writer and musician. This History
Course includes Analysis and Appreciation of Music.
Unprecedented Special Offer!
Will you take advantage of our offer of 6 lessons which we offer to
Etude readers without charge or obligation on their part? We will send
you 6 lessons from the Normal Piano or Harmony Course or 6 lessons
selected from some other subject, if you prefer. We have courses in
Piano (one for students and one for teachers), Harmony, Choral Con¬
ducting, Public School Music, Violin, Cornet, Guitar and Mandolin. Select
the course you are interested in and write now for 6 lessons and catalog.
You will receive full details of the course and be under no obligation to
us. The cost is nothing and you will benefit much.
University Extension Conservatory
Dept. A-122, Siegel-Myers Bldg. Chicago, Illinois
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SCHOOL OF THE PIANOFORTE—Vol. One
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I Used More Exlcmiixlu Than Ann Other Elementary Instruction Book
The simplicity of this work has enabled many teachers tc
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for future musicianship. Flexible cloth binding.
THOUSANDS OF SUCCESSFUL TEACHING PIECES FOR THE PIANOFORTE
Are Presser Publications. A Few Favorites in the First Three Grades are Named Below. Selected Lists and Catalogs Giving
Carefully-graded Material from the Very Beginning to the Highest Grade Cheerfully Furnished Teachers Requesting Them.
FIRST GRADE
16379 Dreaming Poppies..
7664 Turtle Doves ....
16415 Beginning to Play-
16578
2262 Pour Lei
11165 Comean.
16452 Haymaki
16338 The Big
EASY Pi
id Drum Brigade. ...Spaulding $0
Croon.Strickland
^eaf Clover Waltz.Engelmann
SECOND GRADE
Cat. No.
8952 No Si
11063 Queer
...Loeb-Evans
16557 Dance of the Chimes.Felton *0.30
16850 Sea Foam, Scherzo.Preston JO
16861 America Victorious.Strickland .30
8899 Twilight Song.Shackley .50
““ **.U- .Engel .30
HAD FOR EXAMINATION THROUGH
Enjoy the convenience of this plan. Teachers may select numbers from any
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desired grades. Numbers not used are returnable.
4185 Flying Sparks....
16294 At the Dancing School..
16112 A Dance in the Village.I
7779 June Morning.Foi
12916 The Soldier’s Song... .Steinhe
THIRD GRADE
Price Cat, No.
...Engel 30.30 8235 Rose Petals.
Anthonv 30 3170 Plavinv Tav
kZ 3 Mg Li;
14123 Na
of the Flower Fairies
ZSSBA
Live Music
Archive
Librivox
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Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland
Museum of Art
Internet
Arcade
Console Living Room
Open Library
American
Libraries
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9/11